


No Matter What

by Ginny41



Category: IZONE (Band)
Genre: F/F, Fluff, Light Angst, One Shot Collection, Romantic Comedy, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-07
Updated: 2021-02-04
Packaged: 2021-02-27 16:22:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 42,743
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22160059
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ginny41/pseuds/Ginny41
Summary: OS collection of 2kim stories!Latest story: Even in the darkest of the nights, their love still kept her warm.
Relationships: Kim Chaewon (IZONE)/Kim Minju
Comments: 7
Kudos: 195





	1. 7 Minutes and More With You

**Author's Note:**

> This collection will be a compilation of the little stories I write when I'm bored so decided to get some prompts from a prompt generator. However, if I ever write something inspired by someone else's idea, I'll credit them in the said story. It will mostly be simple fluffy stories since those are the things I write when I need to forget about IR stress. Don't expect frequent updates, since I may forget about it to focus on the stories I should really be working on XD
> 
> Originally posted on aff, now I finally took my time to post it here as well.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Chaewon and Minjoo's friends decided to give the two girls a little push by locking them in a closet for 7 minutes, they didn't expect to find them with matching bruises by the end of the time.

There are a lot of places Kim Chaewon would rather be at in the moment, for crying out loud, she would even rather to be at her loathed cram school than the place she was currently in. Serves her right for being naïve enough to believe Hyewon and accept to come to this little ‘get together’ the girl was having – well it was small, considering there were only 12 girls, yet these 12 were worth for 50 people judging how loud and chaotic they could be.

These 12 girls also happened to be her friends, but she was rethinking their friendship in the moment. Why? Well the reason was sitting right next to her in a dark closet right now. And she surely was a loud breather.

Chaewon hugged her knees, stealing a glance at Kim Minjoo who was sitting a little too close to her right now. The brunette was curling her lips, looking as unease, if not more, than Chae felt. The slighter older girl couldn’t help but feel a little worried, it wasn’t like she hated being around Minjoo, it was the total opposite.

They were trapped inside the closet thanks to a friendly game of ‘7 minutes in Heaven’, a very childish game that Chaewon would never have agreed on if her friends weren’t such stubborn brats. Yena had pretty much forced the Kims to go into the closet, using the excuse that they were already so close, so nothing better than getting _closer_ – Chaewon would smack her in the head as soon as she had the chance. Yena, being one of her closest friends, should know how pathetic her crush on Minjoo was and how much the idea of confessing sent her calm-put-together-self on a frenzy. Still, Choi hadn’t hesitate even for a moment before pushing the duo into such awkward situation.

Minjoo, on the other hand, was torn between excitement and nervousness. Her own big fat crush on Chaewon was pretty happy with the result of the game, yet Chaewon’s annoyed expression was making her hesitant. She had been trying to show her affection for the older girl in the last couple of months as she finally realized her feelings weren’t purely platonic. But the thing is: She was a naturally affectionate person, what meant that her excessive clinginess to all her friends seem like such a normal thing that no one bat an eye at her actions anymore – if anything, Chae seem more flustered than usual whenever she was too bold.

She was trying her best to get close and try to…What? 7 minutes in heaven seemed much easier said than done, after all it wasn’t like all their inhibitions would go away just because they were alone in a closet that smelt like camphor and old clothes. Chaewon’s stern expression wasn’t making it any easier for her – she knew the girl well enough to know most of the time she couldn’t control her expressions and it often gave people the wrong impression about her. Still, right now she couldn’t tell whether she was indeed annoyed or just gay panicking on the inside – goddess knows how much she was rooting for the latter.

As subtly as she could – what wasn’t very subtle at all –, she moved even closer, her arm brushing against Chae’s as they sat side by side. The closet wasn’t very cramped and she could’ve kept her distance, but she was trying to get notice here.

 **“Minjoo?”** Chaewon finally asked, her voice small and a little less firm than usual.

 **“I don’t like small places.”** Minjoo replied easily. Well, it wasn’t a lie, who likes dark small places that smell like their old great-aunts? It wasn’t the reason why she was so close, but it was a detail.

 **“Oh.”** The older glanced at her, and even in the dim light, Minjoo could see her expression softening as Chaewon reached out to rest her hand on Minjoo’s arm gently. **“They’ll let us out soon.”**

 **“Uhum.”** Minjoo took it as a success – partially at least – since Chaewon hadn’t tried to push her away and was even holding her forearm, what was not as romantic as holding hands but close enough.

The younger, as smoothly as she could, rested her hand on top of Chae’s, giving her a thankful smile. **“I feel safe with you though. Like you’re my safety blanket.”** And to top her words, she made sure to hug the girl by the arm, clinging onto her like a puppy.

Lame, absolutely lame – that was her try at flirting. Good thing Chaewon was very vulnerable to her words.

She couldn’t tell what her expression meant earlier, but the one right now filled all the boxes to be considered as ‘gay panic’ at its best: eyes wide, mouth slightly agape, nervous hands that she didn’t know where to place and Minjoo could bet there was a beautiful red tinting her ears. Mission success.

 **“Chae….”** She started before the other had time to properly react to her last attack. **“Aren’t we going to…You know?”**

 **“Huh?”** Chaewon’s answer reflected her delicate state of mind in the moment. She was simultaneously loving the sudden closeness and hating it because she might be misunderstanding things. Right now she couldn’t trust her capacity of articulating a proper reply.

Apparently neither could the local smooth talker, Minjoo.

 **“You know, doing that…Thing…People sometimes do in this game…I mean, it’s cool if you don’t want to, but I was kind of…Expecting we would.”** Minjoo trailed off, nervously fidgeting with her slender fingers. Her face was in a whole new shade of red, but thanks to the weak illumination inside the closet Chaewon wouldn’t be able to see it – how ironic, she was willing to stay inside the literal closet to be able to get out of her figurative one.

Chaewon stared at her for a moment, blinking her light brown eyes before frowning. **“We can’t do drugs here!”**

 **“What?! I was talking about kissing, not smoking!”** Minjoo quickly denied, falling easily on Chae’s trap – Chaewon might not be the smoothest and is currently in a heavy gay panicked state, but she was far from being dumb, therefore she just said the first ridiculous thing on her mind to make the other speak quicker. The older Kim, however, didn’t expect such reply.

Scrap that, now she was in a _real_ panicked state.

 **“You mean u-us? K-Kissing? Now?!”** Chaewon stuttered, her high-pitched voice even higher. It was really a shame Minjoo couldn’t see it, but the blush was now on her cheeks too, making Chaewon quite an adorable view.

 **“I…I was hoping we could?”** Minjoo, who was dealing with her own fragile state testing her confident flirt abilities, managed to say.

Then silence.

Chaewon was too busy mal-functionating to say anything. Kissing Minjoo sounded about as good as it gets, but she was having a hard time comprehending the simple, but very surprising, fact that the younger Kim _wanted_ to kiss her too.

Hyewon monotone voice was enough to make her snap out of it.

**_“Chaewon and Minjoo, one minute to go! Better be decent when I open the door. My mother keeps her favorite coats in there, you know?”_ **

One minute? She only had one minute to kiss Minjoo? Her one chance in life and she was given only 60 seconds…Probably less now.

It was now or never, she didn’t have time to hesitate.

 **“I want to do it!”** Chaewon said, this time a tad too loud, surprising the brunette that looked at her wide eyed.

Nonetheless, Minjoo would never miss such opportunity, so she nodded enthusiastically.

There was a quick, awkward moment where both girls just stared at each other, wondering who should the one to take initiative.

Turns out both did…A little too enthusiastically.

Chaewon had leaned in for the kiss, eyes firmly shut as she tried her best to fight against time. The problem was that Minjoo also made a move, grabbing her jacket and pulling Chae in, she kept her eyes closed and a hopeful heart -- she also had a very tough skull they would figure soon.

Instead of soft lips and fluttering feelings, they felt the hardness of bones hitting each other as their foreheads ‘kissed’ instead of their lips. There was no fluttering feeling just throbbing pain.

 **“Ouch!”** Backing away, Minjoo touched her fast bruising forehead and grimaced as she noticed Chaewon’s pained expression as she did the same. **“Oh no.”** So much for her great romance.

She would’ve apologized for her clumsiness – well, they both were at fault, but she was just a little bit more eager so the bruise on Chaewon’s head might have something to do with it –, but the host interrupted them before she could.

 **“Time is up!”** Hyewon said opening the door just to look at them with her eyebrows raised. **“Well, this will need some ice...Wild thing you kids are.”** She muttered, before letting out a soft chuckle as the younger girls dragged themselves out of the closet – literally, unfortunately.

The girls got themselves some ice for the bruises, but none of them said anything, too busy nursing their foreheads and embarrassed to talk about it. Their friends, however, didn’t bother to hide their stares and muffled laughs for the rest of the night.

* * *

The way back was quiet as Chaewon walked her home – they lived fairly close, Chaewon’s house only two streets away, so it only made sense for them to head home together; This, however, doesn’t mean it wasn’t awkward.

None of them knew what to do after their failed try at a first kiss, their matching bruises making it clear to everyone how clumsy they were. The pain was slowly fading away, the embarrassment not quite.

Chaewon was stealing nervous glances at the younger, blabbering about school and their upcoming exams – she wanted to talk about it, but she didn’t know how and she hated awkward silences. Usually talking to Minjoo was easy, the girl had a good, easy-going and kind personality, and to be honest Chae loved the very own sound of her voice. She didn’t want things to change.

Well, she wanted some things to change, but not this one.

Minjoo was trying her best to give Chaewon her most charming smile and listen closely to what she said – even though she wasn’t very found of the topic. She was pondering about whether or not trying to hold hands, what wouldn’t be so weird normally, but seem much more meaningful tonight. In the end she just clung onto the sleeve of Chae’s coat, afraid of trying too hard and make them end up with matching wounds in their arms too.

They arrived at her house quicker than she expected – it wasn’t that long of a walk, but apparently time flies when you’re trying to brave up.

As usual, Chaewon walked with her until they reached the doorstep, partially due to the fact that the slightly taller girl refused to let go of her.

The two just exchanged small, hesitant smiles, waiting to say their goodbyes.

The lights were off since her parents weren’t at home, making the streets lights the only source of illumination – the second time they were at a (relatively) dark place that night. Perhaps having the dim light to hide their embarrassment gave them the courage they needed.

**“About earlier…”**

**“I’m sorry for…”**

They spoke at the same time, awkward chuckles following.

Chaewon was the first to talk, trying to turn her nervousness into confidence to at least for once talk properly to the girl. **“I was just going to apologize for being…Er, a mess really. I guess I wasn’t the best companion earlier, so I’m sorry about that.”** It wasn’t great, and her eyes were busy looking elsewhere instead of facing Minjoo, but at least she didn’t stutter.

Her words made Minjoo feel a little more at ease, her confidence rising as an idea popped on her mind. **“I was nervous too. It was my first time playing it, but I was happy to be with you.”** She let out a small chuckle, her hand finding its way to Chaewon’s to give it a light squeeze. **“I’m sorry for being so clumsy. I really like matching couple items, but I don’t think this is the right one for us.”** Another laugh, clearly born from nervousness – she was a flirt, but it didn’t mean she couldn’t get embarrassed by her own words once in a while. **“You know, I really wanted to do it.”**

Before her confidence disappeared again, she took a – very careful this time – step closer so she could use her free hand to brush aside Chaewon’s bangs and lay a very gentle, light kiss on the bruise she had caused earlier. Chae’s skin under her lips was warm, mostly due to the blush that was quickly spreading across her face, and she was close enough to feel her trademark mint scent. It wasn’t the perfect kiss, but surely went a lot better than the last one and she had to refrain from smiling like a fool.

Chaewon wasn’t expecting it – not these words, nor the spontaneous kiss. It didn’t mean she didn’t like it though. Part of her was, once again, going into panic mode – the good kind of panic, the one that happens whenever your crush tries to woo you in the right way and makes you giddy on the inside –, bringing a silly smile to her face and warmth to her face. Minjoo’s hand fit right into hers and this time she was brave enough to hold it properly, her fingers easily sliding in the spaces between hers to intertwine.

 **“I was also at fault. I never thought you’d want to, you know, with me.”** Her voice was small, but she was brave enough to look up to face Minjoo’s eyes. That one minute earlier had been wasted, but she didn’t want to lose this moment too. Minjoo was being so open about her feelings, and even if it wasn’t her nature, she would try to do the same. **“I kind of really wanted to kiss you too.”** Tentatively, she took a step, bringing them so close that she could feel the younger’s warm breath. **“Not only because of the game.”**

 **“You do?”** Minjoo bite down on her bottom lip, the smile she tried to concern reaching her eyes, turning them into half moons that almost completely hide her bright brown eyes that sparkled with something special now.

 **“I’ll approach you this time.”** Chaewon informed, both to avoid a new incident and to reaffirm her newly gained confidence – Minjoo couldn’t be the one taking the initiate always and she had done it so many times already, it was her turn to return the favor. **“…If you still want to do it.”** Of course, her confidence could be a little better in the moment, but worse than a bruised forehead, would be a bruised heart for getting her kiss rejected thanks to her lack of manners.

 **“Chaewon, just do it!”** The taller girl’s laugh this time was clear and light, one not born from embarrassment, but from genuine happiness and excitement – although she made sure to not rush things and avoid any more injuries.

There was a smile on her face when she noticed the shorter girl moving closer, this smile only grew wider as she closed her eyes and felt soft lips on hers. The kiss was gentle and sweet, even better than what she had expected it. No foreheads bumping, no awkwardness and hesitation. Now everything seemed to finally have happened as it was supposed to – and she couldn’t be any happier. Her heart swelled in her chest, full and happy. Leaving all precaution behind, she reached out to involve Chaewon’s neck with her arm, bringing her closer to make sure their kiss wouldn’t get cut short.

The sudden embrace almost made Chaewon stagger as her arms tried to grab a hold of Minjoo’s waist to stabilize herself without breaking the kiss – what was particularly hard because the kiss itself was making dizzy, lightheaded and her heart was fluttering happily inside her chest, thankfully it was also making her focus solely on Minjoo’s enticing vanilla scent and sweet warmth, that led her hands to find the small of her back easily. The hug only made things better as even after they were forced to break the kiss to breathe, none of the feelings went away, kept safe by Minjoo’s warm embrace and smile.

It was a 90% success thanks to Minjoo’s parents arrival and the awkwardness that followed as the couple teased them before leaving the kids alone again.

Chaewon gifted the girl with a another short, light kiss as a good night one. But Minjoo insisted on pulling her for a much deeper one -- thankfully, no foreheads were harmed this time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The prompts that made this fic possible were these two:
> 
> Prompt 1: Chaewon and Minjoo are about to kiss, but accidently bump foreheads really hard, and now have matching bruises + Prompt 2: Minjoo lightly kissing Chaewon on top of a freshly formed bruise.


	2. Lucky To Find You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Hyewon told her to try to get back at dating, Minjoo didn’t think she would end up in a club paying for someone else’s girlfriend drinks.

**“Hey, can I get you a drink?”** A voice sounded close to her, it was coming from a girl sitting on the stool next to hers.

Chaewon didn’t recall anyone being there just five minutes ago and she didn’t even spare her a glance, knowing fully well what kind of person she would find – another drunkard college student, just like the dozens filling this place even though it was barely 10pm. **“I have a girlfriend.”** She said in the hopes it would make the girl go away.

 **“Oh.”** The disappointment on the girl’s tone was clear and Chae expected her to just leave quietly before she could further embarrass herself – she was incredibly wrong. The girl searched for something in her pockets, the sound of coins colliding with the wood counter making the brunette avert her eyes to it.

She frowned as she watched the pink haired girl lean on the counter, with her face a little too close to it, to count down the coins. **“I guess it’s okay? I think I have enough money to buy us drinks!”**

 **“Are you really offering to pay for me _and_ my girlfriend when you barely have any money?”** She scoffed, baffled by the drunk girl’s generosity – or was it stupidity?

 **“You guys can have a big drink and I’ll just get something smaller!”** As if she was happy with this weird solution, she turned to face Chaewon with a tentative smile.

The brunette held her breath as she narrowed her eyes to see the other girl better, she was having a hard time properly seeing anything under the dim light of the club – has she mentioned how much she hated that place? – but there was no way she could’ve missed that face. Her hair was a different color, her face a little slim than before, but she knew all too well those pretty features.

Blinking, she took in a deep breath to try to regain her composure. Of course, she should’ve known only one person would suggest something so absurd – she was indeed generous and a a fool too.

Maybe Eunbi dragging her all the way to a club pretty much against her will, wasn’t that bad of a thing.

She raised her hand, calling the bartender over. **“Just get her a soda, a big one with lemon. Please.”** Chaewon ordered handing him the money as the girl just watched her with her big dark eyes that seem a little blurry due to the alcohol in her body.

The bartended left the drink in front of the pink haired girl who smile like a kid at the sight of it – as expected of Kim Minjoo. **“How did you know I like it?”** She asked taking a sip on the drink and letting out a pleased sigh…Just to proceed to nearly choke on her drink. “ **W-Wait, won’t your girlfriend get mad at you for paying for it?”**

 **“I don’t think someone who doesn’t exist would care.”** Chaewon reassured with a muffled chuckle, her hand gently patting on the girl’s back. **“How did you end up here? Are you alone?”**

 **“I came with my roommate, but she…Well, I don’t really know where she is now.”** Minjoo looked around, trying to spot her friend in the middle of dozens of people dancing and eating each other’s face in the crowd. It was useless, even if Hyewon was close, she probably wouldn’t be able to spot her with how blurry her vision was in the moment – she wouldn’t risk standing up to check the dance floor, she could already feel the world turning a little faster even if she was sitting.

 **“I came with my cousin. She probably ‘disappeared’ in the same way your friend did.”** Chaewon sighed, resting her chin on her hand. It seems like even if she didn’t want to, she would be stuck with this very special drunk girl for the night.

Taking a sip of her own drink – a soda, she could barely stand being around drunk people, becoming one would be too much for her –, she stole a glance at Minjoo who was busy collecting all her coins again, precariously stocking them into her pockets and almost knocking down her own glass in the process. Chae made sure to take the cup out of the ‘danger zone’ to avoid accidents, there was nothing new about Minjoo being clumsy, drunk she was even more than usual.

 **“Why would a pretty girl like you be here trying to buy people’s attention with drinks?”** She finally asked, giving back the soda to Minjoo once the girl was done putting away the coins. **“You don’t even drink.”**

 **“I…”** Minjoo hesitated, her head was still a little dizzy from all the drinks she had forced herself to drink earlier in the hopes it would make her loosen up, but aside from making her extra clumsy and prone to laughing, it didn’t seem to help much. **“Hyewon told me I should try to get out there again. But it’s not going very well.”** She admitted, averting her gaze from her drink to the cute – she hoped that girl was cute, she couldn’t really tell with how blurry everything looked in the moment – girl beside her.

 **“Oh, really?”** At least this stranger was nicer than most, her high-pitched voice was rather pleasant to her ears.

 **“Uhum.”** Nodding slowly, careful to avoid an incoming headache, she continued. **“People here are so…They don’t really talk, you know? And I like to talk with people first, you know?”** She tried to explain, using her hands to gesture, albeit Chaewon could understand her perfectly – most people there were too busy trying to investigate each other’s mouth to make small talk.

Chae thanked whatever high power for making Minjoo decide to hit on her instead of on one of those thirsty party animals – that were mostly her classmates. Not that she had any right to feel possessive over the other, the idea just made her uncomfortable…Really uncomfortable.

 **“Believe me, I know. You can talk to me, I’ll listen.”** With a smile, Chaewon encouraged her – she had to admit, a drunk Minjoo was a rather funny one and maybe meeting her like this was better than to do it with both sober and awkward. **“So, your friend is trying to get you to date, right? I suppose the club wasn’t your first option.”**

Minjoo nodded again, a little too enthusiastic this time – she had to hold her own head to make it stop spinning. **“First I tried to talk to this girl at the cafe near college, and everything was okay until my coffee kind of fell on her.”**

 **“Kind of?”** Chaewon raised an eyebrow, it wasn‘t hard to picture the scene. She actually had witnessed similar occurrences more than once in the past. **“ _Of course_. And what else?”**

 **“Then there was this girl in my bio class who was really nice and all, but…”** Minjoo made a face, hiding behind her nearly empty cup.

**“But…?”**

**“I accidentally hit her face with my books because she scared me and she got so mad even when I said it was a total accident and…Argh**!” With a sigh, the girl deflated herself even more, hugging her soda cup.

Chaewon let out an airy chuckle, her gaze full of fondness as she reached to pat the girl’s hair softly. **“This can happen, I guess. Anything else?”**

 **“Oh, there was this one guy who tried to ask me out and he slipped on the stairs and I tried to help, but then he just end up hurting his back more…I don’t know how but everyone started to say I was cursed since it and no one wants to go out with me anymore, even when nothing bad happens when I talk to them.”** Her words slurred words sounded funny and she had her head hide on her arms over the counter, the curtain of pink hair protecting her of Chae’s gaze. She was frustrated and embarrassed, if it wasn’t for the alcohol she would probably not have shared about her failed love life that became the joke of the freshmen in the campus.

Shaking her head slightly, the older girl leaned in as well, trying to get a better look of the taller woman. **“Well, you’re a little weird and maybe a bit unlucky.”** She felt bad for her, even if a part of her was rejoicing about the other failed attempts at getting a girlfriend. Minjoo needed her support in the moment, even if she was too drunk to recognize her. **“But definitely not cursed. I can guarantee it.”**

 **“Very unlucky.”** Minjoo said more to herself than to the girl in front of her. It was too bad that stranger was already taken – or was she? She couldn’t quite tell if the girl was messing around with her and her mind was a little slow in the moment –, it was the longest conversation she had with a girl in a long time (Hyewon didn’t count, they lived together).

**“Come on, you can’t be that bad. Didn’t you ever have a girlfriend?”**

**“Hm, yes, but…It was long ago.”** Grimacing, she downed what was left of her soda. Maybe she should go back to the beers, she still had enough money for one and she didn’t want to risk getting sober and sad.

 **“A year and a half is not that long.”** Chaewon muttered to herself, her lips turning into a displeased line. **“How did you ‘woo’ her into liking you?”**

 **“I…”** The pink haired girl fidgeted with her fingers, a small, embarrassed smile on her face. **“I kind of tripped on her and we fell into the pool.”**

 **“Of all moments to pick…”** Chae muttered under the breath, before saying aloud. **“See? A real proof that you’re not cursed, otherwise you both would have drowned.”**

 **“That’s right!”** Her words seem to work, a glimpse of hope and even a little excitement on Minjoo’s face as she spoke. **“I’m a good swimmer, I took her out of the pool and even did CPR on her!”**

 **“I wouldn’t call that CPR exactly, but…”** From what she could recall it was more like Minjoo very awkwardly trying to blow her face because she was too shy to actually put her lips on hers and blow air into her mouth directly – thankfully, besides the incredible embarrassment, Chaewon was just fine even without any CPR. “ **And where is she now?”**

 **“She left…She just left me!”** _Awesome_ , now Minjoo was sulking again and she didn’t even have her soda anymore.

Chaewon sighed, pushing her cup aside so the girl could drink her soda instead. **“I’m sure she had a good reason…Maybe you being a clingy drunk person?”**

 **“She broke up with me to go college abroad and I cried the whole summer.”** Minjoo complained, but accepted the cup, not even batting an eye before drinking all the soda in one go – good thing Chaewon hadn’t offered her a beer or she might end up in a coma. **“She didn’t even call, only sent me a Christmas card…Who sends Christmas cards nowadays?”**

Trying her best to not grimace, Chae averted her gaze to her own hands. Minjoo had a good reason to feel upset, but she also had a good reason to try to cut ties when she left for college. After all, back then she didn’t think she would be able to come back to this country anytime soon and she didn’t want to keep a long distance relationship that would only hurt them both in the long run…Still, it didn’t make her feel any less guilty now. **“She doesn’t sound that great when you put it like this.”**

 **“No!”** The younger girl was quick to refute her words, the pout on her face being replaced by a sad, nostalgic smile. **“She is the best…Too good for me.”**

 **“I’m sure that’s not the case. It’s more like the opposite.”** Sighing, Chaewon stood up and offered a hand to help Minjoo to do the same. **“Let’s go.”**

 **“Ei!”** Minjoo tried to shrug her off, refusing to stand up. “ **I don’t sleep over at a stranger’s house! It took me two-”**

 **“Two years to sleep over your girlfriend’s house, yeah, I know.”** Grabbing onto her hand, she made sure the girl had enough support so they could walk towards the exit. **“We won’t do anything. I’ll just let you stay over my place until your friend can come to pick you up, okay?”**

 **“I…”** Closing her eyes, the taller girl rested her free hand on the stranger’s shoulder to try to keep her balance **. “How do I know if I can trust you? I don’t even know your name.”**

 **“Well, if you don’t want to come with me, just let me send you home. I’ll grab you a taxi.”** The brunette argued. It would be easier to just hug Minjoo by the waist and lead the way, but she didn’t want to cause the wrong impression – how ironic, here she was trying to not creep out her drunk ex-girlfriend who couldn’t even recognize her in the moment. **“My name is Chaewon.”**

 **“Chaewon?”** Minjoo narrowed her eyes, nearly falling over her as she tried to lean in to inspect her face.

For a moment Chaewon thought the girl was going to ditch her, or worse, throw up all over her, but in the end Minjoo just nodded slowly. **“Okay. Take me home.”**

* * *

Minjoo voluntarily hugged her by the shoulders, making the task of walking to the cab much easier. The pink haired girl was suddenly very quiet, she just clung onto her as soon as they entered the car, her face buried on her neck as Chaewon tried to give instructions to the conductor – she tried to not get flustered by the sudden proximity, keeping in mind Minjoo was still very intoxicated and needed her help right now. **“Hey? I’m staying at the dorms on campus, tell me if you’re going somewhere else, okay?”** She knew that Minjoo also frequented the same college as her, the only one around the area. But the college was huge and it wouldn’t be easy to find her dorm without proper info.

The girl didn’t reply, only snuggling further into her. **“Minjoo?”** She tried again, but only her soft snores could be heard.

Chaewon couldn’t help but smile at the adorable sight of Minjoo sleeping so soundly – later she would scold her for being so careless around a ‘stranger’, but not now. Leaving a kiss on her forehead, she let her hands caress her back in calming motions. **“I hope you’re still as light as ever.”**

Minjoo wasn’t, nor she was particularly strong, still that night she managed to take they both to her small apartment with only a few stops to catch her breath and try to find her keys – she had to go back to get them from the elevator’s floor, after all Minjoo’s clumsiness seem to be rubbing on her.

* * *

Minjoo slowly opened her eyes to be met by the blinding morning light and she pulled the sheets over her head. There was a tromping pain filling her head and it took her a moment to be able to overcome it and open her eyes again – now with her back to the windows. Pulling down the sheets, she blinked slowly. She was back to the dorms, she could recognize the cramped room anywhere – it took her a moment to notice other details though.

No frog plushies, no pictures in the walls, instead of the pile of messy clothes that she left yesterday on the floor of her room as she tried to find something to wear for a club, she only found the two-piece dress – the one she should still be wearing – neatly folded on a chair…Her dress?! Trying to contain the panic, she brought her hands to her chest only to find the softness of a grey hoodie with the university logo on it – she didn’t have one of those. Taking a deep breath, she tried to get up from the bed, but stopped halfway through.

Mint.

The damn hoodie smelled like mint, and not only that, it smelled like mint _and_ strawberry. Smelled like Chaewon.

Grabbing onto the sheets, she confirmed that it also carried the same familiar scent.

 **“Don’t scream. Eunbi has someone over and I’ve the bad feeling it might be that roommate of yours, and believe, seeing those two together is a sightI’d rather to not have. Ever.”** Chaewon said as her quiet steps made the way into the room, a small smile on her face as she took a seat by the edge of the bed.

**“Chaewon?”**

**“I changed your clothes because apparently you managed to splash yourself with beer. I only realized when I had to carry you and I started to smell like rooting beer too.”** Chaewon shook her head before letting out a soft chuckle and reaching out to touch Minjoo’s hair, her chestnut eyes on the younger girl’s face. **“Did you sleep well, Pink Princess of LazyTown?”**

 **“I…Ei!”** Her weak protest only made Chaewon laugh, but she didn’t mind it. Minjoo missed hearing the sound of her pure laugh, of seeing her eyes turning into crescent when she smiles and the way it seem particularly bright when it was directed to her.

Without thinking twice, she threw herself into Chaewon’s arms. **“Chaewon!”** her head found the perfect spot on Chae’s shoulders, her arms bringing her closer, as she tried her best to allow herself to enjoy this moment that seemed so impossible yesterday.

Her memories of last night weren’t very clear, but she could recall the stranger at the bar and how they had talk for a long time and then…She hugged Chaewon a little tighter. **“I knew it was you.”** No matter how drunk she was, it would be impossible to not recognize Chaewon. First the voice that was so familiar, then her little witty remarks that didn’t completely slip away of Minjoo’s drunk mind, and finally her sharp, doe eyes that were unmistakable. Even if Chaewon hadn’t told her name, Minjoo would have followed her anyway **. “I missed you so much.”**

 **“Me too. I missed you every day.”** Hugging the girl as tight, Chaewon buried her face in her pink hair that still smelled like vanilla and home – her own little home. **“I’m sorry for not keeping in touch.”**

 **“Why?”** Minjoo didn’t pull away, her voice sounding too close to the sensitive skin of her neck as she spoke. **“Why didn’t you tell me you were back?”**

 **“I didn’t want you to feel like you were stuck with me when I was half away across the globe. I didn’t want us to become one of those couples that ends up cheating and hating on each other.”** At the time Chaewon thought it was a good idea, to let Minjoo free so she could enjoy her own life and she would try to do the same – needless to say it was a complete fail. Studying abroad was harder than she ever thought, not because she wasn’t able to understand the language or keeping up with her classes, she just missed home so much. As soon as her time was up there, she didn’t even consider extending her stay, jumping into a plane back home. This was exactly a week ago, at the beginning of a new semester. **“I just came back a few days ago. I tried to call you, but you changed your number and I…I was too much of a coward to try to snoop around your social media accounts and try to contact you through there…So, I was hoping I could just ‘accidentally’ bump into you if I waited outside the photography department.”**

She kind of expected Minjoo to pull away and hit her for being so silly – she would do it if she was in her place. But only the hits came, and much lighter than she deserved. Minjoo slapped her back weakly, refusing to let go of her and Chaewon could swear she heard a sniff, yet the girl didn’t say anything for a long time.

 **“You’re staying for good this time, right? You’re not going away again?”** Minjoo’s voice was small, almost hesitant, as if she feared the answer and Chaewon smiled with fondness at it.

 **“I’m not going anywhere.”** Pulling back, she kissed her cheeks affectionately. **“I need to be around in case you decide to spent the rest of your coins trying to get a girlfriend _and_ her girlfriend again.” **She tried to joke to easy the mood and as expected Minjoo pushed her lightly, but her expression was still serious.

 **“But what are we?”** This one simple question could change everything. Minjoo was having a hard time controlling her feelings, she couldn’t help but cling onto Chaewon, but it didn’t mean everything was okay. Her weak heart wouldn’t be able to handle having Chaewon around just platonically, not after meeting her again such a way. She didn’t care if it was dumb of her to still feel the same way after more than a year apart, she would put her pride aside than regretting not trying again.

 **“We’re…Friends?”** It was Chaewon’s turn to hesitate. They’ve been away for over a year, it didn’t seem realistic to just expect to get back right away and…Since when did her heart pay any attention to logics? For crying out loud she had fallen in love at first sight for the clumsiest girl in the school and it hadn’t changed with time. **“Who am I fooling? I spent an hour talking to you even through you didn’t know who I was because you were so drunk you could barely see! Then carried you all the way here nearly dropping you at my door and even let you hug me like a koala and steal the blankets all night…”** She stopped to breathe, letting out a chuckle. **“If this is not love, what could it be?”**

Minjoo didn’t reply, her big brown eyes shining with something Chaewon knew well. She didn’t expect such a straight forward answer, not after being separate for so long, however she would never complain about having her Chaewon back.

 **“So, what do you think about getting breakfast before our roommates get up? I think I’ll accept that drink now, it can be our first date.... I have a feeling my girlfriend won’t mind.”** Giving her a playful wink, Chaewon stood up and pulled the girl along with her – she _tried_ to. Minjoo was quicker, and stronger, to pull her back to bed instead.

The younger Kim’s arms laced her by the neck, pulling her closer for a gentle kiss. **“Don’t you fear that something bad will happen to you? Maybe ‘Minjoo’s curse’ is a real thing.”** She tried to reply in the same tone, the corners of her lips turning to form a smile, reflecting the bright sparkle in her eyes as she pecked Chaewon’s lips again, a little longer this time.

Chae contained a chuckle, closing her eyes to enjoy the kiss for a moment **. “I have a feeling I’m immune to it…”** She kissed her again. **“As long as we don’t go near water.”**

She interrupted Minjoo’s laugh with her lips, starting a much longer kiss this time. Maybe they could postpone breakfast for a little longer, even if it meant an awkward meeting with their roommates.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story was inspired by a tweet, thank you again @incorrect2kim for letting me write it! Guys, please check out their account, they’ve very cute and funny tweets!
> 
> As usual, tysm for reading, I really hope you guys enjoyed it! I’m sorry about all the mistakes! See you next time.


	3. Pros and Cons

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Managing a confessions account, Minjoo was used to ignore the ones directed to her, at least until she received one she could accept.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Underline for messages, bold for spoken dialogue.

Minjoo’s dark eyes wide slightly at the sight of the new message they had received.

She was used to getting all kind of confessions – after all she helped Sakura to run an account to allow people to send anonymous, or not so much, confessions to students at their school. It was mostly for fun, just helping people letting their crushes know someone was interested, or for friends to send playful messages to each other – she was the one to make sure it was all light hearted and that no inappropriate text would be published by mistake.

Their account had got quite popular in just a couple of months and sometimes it was a bit annoying having to read through so many messages – she was especially displeased about the ones involving herself. No one was supposed to know who runs the account, therefore she had to read confessions about herself and although it was cute sometimes, she always had to decline it politely – using her own twitter account and pretending she was seeing the confession only after it was posted.

Today was supposed to be one of these days.

Exams week was approaching and it was already stealing her precious sleeping hours and time with her friends, her phone forgotten under a pile of papers to go through. Now that she had finally taken a short break and was scrolling through her phone, not really planning on paying much attention to the confessions account notifications, her eyes couldn’t help but catch the mention of her name in one of the confessions from two days ago.

Curiosity took over her, prompting her to open the message to check its full content.

“I don’t know how to do this properly

Can I just write anything?

Oh yeah you aren’t here right now...

Okay here it goes

To Kim Minjoo from class 1-A,

I know you for a while and I think I liked you right away, but I like you better now that I know there’s so much more to you than your looks (you’re a beautiful, I can’t say I didn’t notice it because it would be a lie), you’re always gentle and warm and makes everyone around you feel special and welcomed. You’re the sweetest person I know and the most patient too, thank you for always playing along with our jokes and not getting easily discouraged. You always work hard for everything and I know you’re busy with exams now, but I also know you will do well because you’re trying your best. I’m not expecting anything, I’ll be happy if this made you smile and took your mind off the semester’s stress for a bit, even if it was only because I’m so bad with words.”

By the end of the message there was indeed a smile on Minjoo’s face and she wasn’t sure why – she had received longer and more romantic confessions before, some even attempted at cheesy poetry about her beauty, other compared her to celebrities…Maybe that was exactly why she liked this one, it was simple and seemed sincere, the fact that it didn’t just focused on her looks helped too.

She still had a smile on her face when someone sat in front of her at her study table. Lifting her gaze, her smile grew bigger as she identified a familiar and dear face. Her friend and tutor was always a pleasant company, her presence being one of the only things that could save Minjoo from the eternal boredom of her studies.

**“Hey! I thought you’d be busy today.”** She greeted, watching the girl starting to lay down her books at the table.

**“I was, but I finished earlier.”** Chaewon explained, opening her laptop and giving Minjoo a small smile. **“Would you rather explore the wonders of calculus by yourself?”**

The taller girl shook her head with a soft chuckle – good thing they were at the far back of the library or else they wouldn’t be able to talk so freely. **“I’ve had enough with exploring. Mind showing me a shortcut, professor Kim?”**

**“I’ll see what I can do for you.”** Chae smirked at her, before reaching out to get her notebook. Chaewon was one year ahead and she would often help her with tips and small lessons here and there, and albeit the older Kim was one of the official tutors for underclassmen, these meetings often felt more like friendly hangouts than anything else. Still, thanks to Chaewon’s tips she had managed to survive the last exam season and hopefully it would happen again. **“Let me see what you’ve been doing so far.”**

As the girl went through her notes, Minjoo used this time to check the confession message again. She was still curious about it, making hard to ignore it even if she was supposed to focus on her tutoring session in the moment.

Biting down on her bottom lip, she ignored the number one rule for their account – messages should always be anonymous unless requested otherwise – and asked:

“how would you like to sign it?”

The sound of a phone with a notification buzzing against the wooden table could be heard, taking Minjoo’s attention off the message to her tutor. Chaewon was holding her own phone, a small frown on her face as she typed.

A second later and another message popped up on Minjoo’s phone.

“Keeping it anonymous is fine I guess?”

It was Minjoo’s turn to frown, both because she was disappointed for not getting a name and also because of how odd the timing for this reply was.

“are you sure? 

she may want to know who you are”

She tried again, Sakura shouldn’t know about it or else she would get a good scold – or worse, have the girl looking for the anonymous admirer herself. Minjoo promised herself that it would be the last time she did something like this, she knew she would most likely regret it if the admirer turned out to be one of her annoying classmates that wouldn’t get a clue no matter how hard she tried to shrug them off.

Another buzz…No, two, all coming from Chae’s cellphone.

Her frown increased as she noticed Chaewon checking her messages, she looked…embarrassed? She was angling her body in a weird way, her phone partially covered by the table, like she was hiding it? From her?

Chaewon was the type to turn off her phone and ignore it for the rest of the studying session, so for her to be acting this out of character all of sudden…Could it be? It sounded crazy even on her thoughts to think her pretty and popular tutor could be the one sending her an anonymous confession – she liked the idea a little too much.

Chae had been tutoring her for the past few months, and even before that they were already fairly close having met through some common friends at the beginning of the school year. Chaewon was smart and charming, her blank expression hiding a playful and kind person – how could she not like her immediately? They had clicked just right and Minjoo would often cling to the older Kim, wanting her company beyond the library doors and their occasional hang out sessions with their big group of friends.

Minjoo even tried to slip here and there a little flirt, to the point of their friends subtly poking fun at them, and Chaewon would play along, but it never became anything more than platonic ‘friendly’ flirting like it seems to be so common in their group – and for her personal disappointment the other girls also liked to play like this with Chaewon, especially the older ones that always cling onto her to Chaewon’s apparent annoyance…Well at least she seemed to be the only one Chaewon was so invested on ‘flirting’ back, if it serves of any consolation.

While Minjoo’s thoughts wander around, Chaewon’s fingers moved to type on her phone.

Three dots appeared on Minjoo’s phone screen.

Chaewon stopped typing, putting her phone down. A message blinking on Minjoo’s phone.

“I don’t think it’s the case”

So oddly in sync. A little too oddly to be a coincidence?

Minjoo bite back a smile. A tickling feeling filled her fingertips, demanding her to message again her admirer. Her mind working at full speed, completely ignoring all the things she should be studying, to focus on the slim chance of her crush liking her back in the same way. The words in the confession match Chaewon well, even the slightly awkward writing style reminded her of their first texts.

“what about your initials?”

Another buzz.

Definitely not a coincidence. Minjoo almost giggled to herself, a grin making its way to her face as she typed with confidence. She would never, ever again complain about having to help Sakura with her crazy ideas.

“K.C.W?”

She saw Chaewon’s eyes wide, making her look a lot like a surprised kitten, as she read the message. The older girl looked flustered, almost dropping her phone as she typed furiously on it – if Minjoo needed any more confirmation, now she had it.

“How do you know my name? 

Sakura, I knew you’d do that! I’m killing you if you publish this!”

“not Sakura, she is playing games at home 

it’s me :D ”

“WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU?!”

Chaewon looked like she was about to have a heart attack, and Minjoo might go into fibrillation if she can’t contain her excitement – therefore she had to do something for both of them.

Standing up, she reached out to snatch the phone out of Chaewon’s grip – she failed to, Chaewon was holding onto it for dear life. **“Chae! Come on, we’re supposed to study!”** This seem to work well, albeit the other didn’t let go of the device, she also stood up, gingerly putting her phone away – on the safety of her backpack.

**“There are a couple of books I think we could use on the last row, but they’re a bit heavy so we should check if they’re the right ones before bringing it here.”** She said with a sheepish smile that wouldn’t fool anyone except a stressed looking Chaewon, like it was the case in the moment.

Luckily for her, this Chaewon was way too distracted to even question what kind of book they would get there, when they both knew this certain row didn’t have anything but old, mostly religious, history books – the reason why no one ever visits this part of the library.

The older girl followed her with heavy steps, a sigh leaving her lips. Minjoo’s grin only became wider, confused and sulky Chaewon was becoming her favorite – or it would be better to just say that ‘Chaewon who likes her back’ was her favorite Chaewon independent of how moody she could get. **“What’s with the frown? Anything happened?”** Again, it was a miracle Chaewon didn’t notice the teasing in her voice.

**“Nothing really.”** Chaewon shook her head slightly to get rid of the said frown, forcing a smile. **“And you? You seem too happy for someone who is about to cram calculus for 2 hours.”**

**“You’re the one that is smiling less than usual, spending all your time on your phone.”** Clicking her tongue, Minjoo tugged into her hand, clasping it to force her to match the younger’s quick pace. **“I just want to get some learning done today.”**

**“Sorry about that. It was just…Me being stupid.”** Chaewon muttered under her breath the last part, although Minjoo was still able to catch it.

The younger Kim squeezed her hand lightly, turning to smile at her. **“You’re never stupid, so I don’t think you need to worry about that.”**

Reaching the row located at the more isolated area of the library, Minjoo checked the other rows for anyone else, but gladly found them empty – talk about luck –, before pulling Chaewon to the end of it, claiming the books she needed were the ones closest to the wall.

Chaewon’s sharp brain must’ve finally catch up with reality, as the girl read the labels at the sides of the books and shot Minjoo some questioning looks. **“Are you sure we’re in the right place, Min?”**

**“Never been more sure of anything.”** Pulling her by the hand, not allowing Chaewon to grab one of the thick books on the shelves, she gently pushed the shorter girl towards the wall. **“K.C.W.”** She mouthed, raising her eyebrows playfully as she watched the girl’s expression quickly change from confusion to something close to panic – the gayest one. Minjoo didn’t give her time to say anything, her hands resting comfortably on Chaewon’s shoulders, pressing it lightly to keep her in place as she leaned in to peck her lips with her own.

She wouldn’t do such a bold thing usually, it wasn’t like her, but it wasn’t everyday she received a sweet confession from someone she actually liked for a change. It didn’t help that Chaewon looked so ridiculously cute with that slightly grumpy pout and a blue beanie on top of her head – there was only so much Minjoo could handle.

Chaewon’s lips were soft and a bit cold under hers, but she couldn’t taste them for long. It was just a peck, she didn’t want to overstep the limits, at least not until Chaewon was fully into it too – it was foolish of her, after all she could feel Chae’s hands on her hips bringing her back before she had the chance of pulling away completely.

The contact became a little more intense as the brunette kissed her back, and suddenly Chae’s lips didn’t seem cold at all – perhaps because she could feel her warm breath against her face now, or maybe because she could herself melting on the inside, either way she liked it much better. Chaewon pressed their lips together, her hands hugging her and pulling her close, involving her completely in her warmth. Minjoo wasn’t sure when, but her own hands found the way to the older girl’s nape, lacing her by the neck and loving the feeling of the soft skin underneath her fingers. She could sense the scent of mint and something else, but her mind couldn’t process it when Chaewon’s insistent lips demanded her attention.

She sighed happily, allowing the contact to become deeper. Chaewon kisses like she teaches: sometimes a little bit rushed, but always caring and gentle – at least to her –, and Minjoo wouldn’t want it any other way.

When she pulled back, Chaewon still had her eyes closed. **“Is this better than a smile? I can give you both.”** Minjoo was probably grinning like a fool again, and perhaps it was far from being the best look to give to your crush, but she didn’t mind it.

The older brunette was still a little surprised, she blinked, her gaze going intuitively to the younger’s lips before a light blush graced her cheeks and she forced herself to look up, meeting Minjoo’s chocolate eyes. **“You’re the one that helps Sakura with the account.”** Chaewon said as a matter of fact, feeling dumb for not noticing earlier. A small, awkward chuckle left her lips, before her tongue touched them unconsciously – Minjoo’s eyes were dark like chocolate, but she also tasted like it.

Minjoo nodded, still resting her hands around Chaewon’s neck as if they belonged there. “ **You didn’t answer my question, though.”**

**“I…”** It was Chaewon’s turn to smile – more like smirk –, her hands gripping on the back of Minjoo’s black sweater, keeping her close. **“I’m not sure. Can you show me that again? I think it may be better now.”**

The stupidly happy grin on Minjoo’s face was interrupted by Chaewon’s kiss and the girl couldn’t be any gladder.

Chae lightly nibbled on her bottom lip, her tongue soothing it as she deepened the kiss with much more control and confidence this time. Minjoo cling even more to her, her nails lightly scratching the older girl's nape, going up to reach her scalp caressing the soft hair there.

They only broke the kiss when her head was light and her heartbeat all over the place, the air knocked out of her lungs. Still she didn’t care about any of it, the stupid grin still on her face as Chaewon planted a couple of quick, gentle kisses on her lips, her hands caressing the lower of her back keeping her in the safety of her arms – not that there was anything to worry about there…Almost.

**“What are you two doing?! Get out, now!”** The elderly lady who manages the place yelled at them, making both girls look at her with wide eyes.

Chaewon was flustered as she apologized to the librarian, her small face pink with embarrassment – still she didn’t let go of her hand, apologizing for her reckless behavior and for dragging her 'girlfriend' with her.

It was funny how no one ever visits that part of the library, yet they were caught by the librarian before they even had the chance of having a proper make out session. Perhaps even her luck today had it’s limits. It seems like they would have to move their study sessions back to her room after getting kicked out of the library…Correction, maybe her luck today was the best.

Minjoo could die of happiness – she also couldn’t care less for being scolded by the old lady. She made sure to take Chaewon to grab some food, finishing her luck streak with the date she always wanted.

* * *

Chaewon only checked her phone hours later, after coming back home from a long day of no studying and only dating – her parents wouldn’t be proud of her, but she was over the moon in the moment.

At least until her phone vibrated in her pocket: nothing less than the confessions account messaging her again. She expected a playful reply from her…Whatever her and Minjoo were in the moment, girlfriends? She liked the sound of it.

With a smile, she opened the notification.

“Congratulations on your date! I heard you enjoyed it ;)

Btw, we’re still publishing this cute thing here :D”

“Minjoo, delete it. I’m serious.”

“hello, Serious Chaewon, this is Sakura and I’m publishing it 8D!”

And as expected of Sakura, it was there with her initials included, pinned on the top of her page before Chaewon could curse her.

Almost as quickly, Minjoo’s reply popped on Chaewon’s timeline – with a picture of the two of them together…Kissing, nothing less. When Minjoo even took that?

Chaewon was utterly embarrassed, but also pretty satisfied with the results of her clumsy confession.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy belated birthday to my friend Guka, this is not good enough to be a bday gift, but that’s it.
> 
> Prompt by: YeNaa6969 on twitter, thank you for allowing me to write it and I’m sorry if it’s not that great!
> 
> Also, thanks to Dyra who was the one that showed me (and everyone else) on 2kim’s discord server and Tam for helping me with the title!


	4. Stay

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Being away from the one you love is not easy, it made Chaewon question whether or not it was the best thing for her and Minjoo. She just wanted to be with her girl, but was it fair to make Minjoo wait for her?

_“...you’re being directed to the voicemail, please wait for the beep to leave a message.”_ The electronic voice said and Chaewon hang up without leaving a message. She was getting tired of leaving messages, and perhaps of calling as well.

Sitting on her bed, she stared down at her phone. There was a picture of her and Minjoo as the background, it was her graduation day and they were smiling happily. She could recall the way their friends had made fun of them for being so clingy even in a day like that, but she didn’t mind it. She had promised Minjoo she would come to her graduation as well – it, like so many other things, seemed just like a hopeless plan now.

It’s been almost a year since she moved to her college dorm. A year away from her girlfriend. Chaewon never thought it would be a problem, but she was clearly naïve.

Studying took a lot of her time, even at the weekends she was drowning in papers to write and anatomy structures to memorize. Going back home became a much harder task as she had to choose between a few hours with her loved ones, or more hours at the library preparing for exams – it would be a lie to say she prioritized the first one more often. There was so much pressure on her shoulders and she didn’t want to disappoint her parents – and herself –, she was doing her best to balance everything in her life and failing.

People said college was the best place to have fun, but for her college was the place to stress herself to the maximum and get minimum sleep. Studying, however, wasn’t the worst part of her year.

Leaving Minjoo behind was painful, it made her realize how attached she was to the younger woman. She missed everything about her girl, from her smiles and kisses, to even the quiet moments where they would just stay side by side, finishing homework at the school’s library or just lazing around in her room.

At first, they tried talking every day, keep in touch the best way they could. Sending texts and video calling every night before sleeping. Chaewon tried her best to visit at least twice a month.

But there was a thing with long distance relationships, it wasn’t about the distance, it was about the effort you put onto it. And when you don’t try enough, they quickly worn out.

They weren’t apart for an ocean or thousands of miles, it wouldn’t take more than three hours to get back home in a normal day. They were, however, separate by much more complicated things.

It was her first year in college, but it was Minjoo’s last year in high school. Both had a lot to prove, in very different ways. While Chaewon had to adapt to a new routine, Minjoo was back at her old high school working hard to try to get into a good college. The younger girl was having a hard time picking a major and trying to raise her grades as much as possible, and Chaewon was frustrated for not being able to help her at all. She tried to be the reliable older partner, many times using their calls to try to explain things and give her tips – it took her a little too long to notice her girlfriend never asked for them.

Chaewon only realized what she was doing when the calls became shorter and Minjoo started to sound tired instead of excited to talk to her. She wondered if she had come too strong, just piling up more pressure on the younger girl’s shoulders, instead of being a source of energy for her. Even though she was only trying to help, she only made things worse.

Perhaps that was how things started to go downhill for them.

She tried to fix it, trying to visit more often and encouraging Minjoo to go out with their younger friends to have fun. It worked, but only partially.

Minjoo did seem happier now when they talked, once she allowed herself to loosen up a bit and hang out with her friends more often. However, Chaewon didn’t manage to visit her as much as she would like, and when she did, their time together always seem to go by too quickly.

Around six months into college, her schedule became even tighter with assignments and exams accumulating, she had to sacrifice her sleeping hours to not fail her classes completely. She couldn’t afford to visit on the weekends and Minjoo was understanding enough to not complain about it. Or so Chaewon thought, until the girl started to speak more and more about everything her and Yujin were doing together on the weekends since they were the only ones left since Yuri was always busy with Yena.

Chaewon would rather to think of herself as a mature, level headed person, but it would be a lie to say it didn’t tick her off a bit – the feeling never went away completely, it only grew every time she came across a picture of them together or accidentally noticed their interactions on social media, she was getting annoyed by the simple mention of their hang outs by now. It was childish and wrong, still she couldn’t brush it off. She knew Minjoo would never be disloyal, it wasn’t like her. But she also knew she wasn’t the one making her happy right now, and maybe this knowledge was more painful. Minjoo deserved better than a girlfriend who couldn’t be with her and only nagged about school.

It was about that time their texts started to become more sporadic – as the time went by they became more and more robotic. They started to reschedule their video chats as well, so many times that they would spend more time talking about doing it, than actually doing so.

Now, when she was finally able to go back home for a while, she wasn’t even able to get into contact with her girlfriend – it wasn’t like Minjoo refused to take the call, she was probably just busy again. With whatever it was.

Giving a final look at her phone, she slides her finger though the screen and with a couple of touches their picture was gone, replaced by a default wallpaper.

* * *

Minjoo searched her bag for her phone, founding it dead at the bottom of it. She sighed, taking a seat by the bleachers.

She didn’t really want to go out in such bad weather, but staying home alone didn’t seem that nice. Therefore, she was now at the ice rink with her friends, staying outside the house was becoming a common occurrence for her – maybe because it was only way she didn’t have to worry about people asking about her choices of college or how Chaewon and her were doing. All her classmates seem obsessed with these subjects, no wonder she was spending more time in the company of the juniors now.

Yujin, with whom she spent most of the time, was full of energy and very carefree always. Being around her was easy and made her feel like she used to when she first entered high school. They started to hang out more often since the beginning of the year as the girl seem to be the only one to notice how stressed she was – Yuri too, of course, but Yuri had to deal with her own problems since she was also a senior now.

They had grown close with time as Minjoo got tired of studying and the constant nagging of her teachers – and sometimes even from her girlfriend. Chaewon had told her to loosen up a bit and enjoy her free time and Yujin was of great help. Now they spent almost every free period together, Minjoo would even have her as a study buddy instead of other seniors and they would hang out on the weekends.

She knew some people were gossiping about their closeness, but she tried to ignore it. Yujin was a precious friend to her and one that had helped so much in the last couple of months.

Besides, Yujin had Wonyoung, a freshman from another school. They were dating for a couple of months now and Minjoo would help out by driving them to their dates sometimes – it made her feel like an older sister, but she didn’t mind it much. Today her and Yuri were accompanying the younger girls at the ice rink – Yuri sucked at it, what meant that Minjoo spent more time trying to keep them both standing than actually skating while the kids would run around making fun of them. She had just taken a break, when she heard the buzz of her phone a moment before it died down.

Reaching for her mobile battery, she connected it to the phone and waited a moment until she was able to turn it on again. As soon as the device was working, she got two notifications of missed calls, both from Chaewon. Her heart clenched in her chest. It hurt a little more when she noticed the girl hadn’t left a voice message or texted her. Chaewon was doing it often lately.

Opening the tab with the last texts exchanged she left out another sigh. When their conversation became like that? It was such a basic exchange of words, some ‘good nights’ and ‘did you have dinner already’, the kind of text that would usually get lost in the middle their silly rambling about all sort of things. Even right now, as her fingers itched to text her girlfriend, she wasn’t sure of what she should say, the idea of getting into another soulless chat hurt more than the silence.

Minjoo liked to think she was just giving Chaewon the space she needed to study, college wasn’t easy and the girl was always the type that overworks herself. However, she knew it wasn't just it, they were slowly falling apart and she was at fault too.

That year was being a nightmare for the two of them. Everything they had planned together had pretty much failed. She missed Chae – all the freaking time, to the point where speaking to her only made the need to see her even stronger. Chaewon was too busy to visit most of the time, and every time she tried to go to her, her parents would shut her down claiming she should let her girlfriend focus on her studies and she should focus on her own as well.

She didn’t want to act too needy and burden Chaewon with her demands, so she tried to keep herself occupied in her own ways. It worked to some extent, spending time with the kids would take her mind off other matters, and studying was a little easier when she tried to encourage herself by thinking that every good grade put her one step closer to Chaewon in college – she knew it was shallow of her to pick the university she would attend just because she would be closer to Chae, but when didn’t she use her heart instead of her brain to make decisions? It was a good school anyway.

Although, she was second guessing her plans now that they were getting strange by the day. What if Chae just didn’t want her around anymore?

Mustering her courage, she typed: 

“Chae, are you coming home today?”

The reply came oddly quickly.

“I’ll be there before night. Can you meet me by the lake?”

Minjoo bite down on her bottom lip, hesitating. She wanted to see her girlfriend, but there was something off about that text. Still, she didn’t say no.

“Sure! I can’t wait to see you!”

* * *

Chaewon’s expression was blank when she met Minjoo by the lake at the beginning of the evening, her eyes didn’t give away anything. It’d be fast and for the best, she repeated to herself as her gaze come to meet the girl with brown hair. Her heart said otherwise, skipping a beat at the simple sight of Minjoo.

 **“Chaewon! I’m sorry I’m late, I was with…”** Minjoo tried, sounding a little out of breath as she rushed to meet her.

 **“Yujin, I know.”** Chae cut off, trying her best to not let her voice show her true feelings. **“It’s okay, I just got here.”** Shrugging her shoulders, she let out the easy lie. If anything, the minutes she waited for Minjoo made this decision even harder.

Minjoo gave her a smile – an awkward one, as if she was considering how to act and perhaps she was since she didn’t greet her with a hug or a kiss, she just stood there fidgeting with her own hands. **“Why did you ask me to meet here? It’s pretty cold, we should go home and grab some hot chocolate.”**

It was hard to not grimace at her words that brought up so many good memories. It would be easier to go with her and play pretend for a couple of days, but it would only hurt more later.

 **“I know. I’m sorry for the inconvenience, but,”** She didn’t want to ruin their memories, she would rather freeze to death than do that. The memories would be all she would have left after tonight. **“I didn’t want anyone else to hear it.”** Taking a deep breath, she faced the chocolate brown eyes she loved the most and said. **“I want to break up.”**

Her girlfriend – Ex-girlfriend? –, didn’t answer immediately, she only blinked in confusion risking a step closer. **“Chaewon! It’s not funny, stop it.”**

Giving a shaky smile of her own, she tried to play it cool. **“It’s not a joke, Minjoo.”** Her voice was soft, she had rehearsed her words and hopefully she would be able to deliver the message without breaking down. **“I haven’t been treating you right, not giving you the attention you deserve…We barely even talk lately and…”**

A very familiar pair of arms interrupted her with a tight hug that almost knocked her off of her feet. **“No, no, no, Chaewon. What are you even saying?”** The embrace was so tight that it was hard to breath, but Chaewon didn’t try to push her away – it was taking all her strength to not hug her back **. “You’re busy with school, I know that. It’s not your fault** ”

 **“Even if it’s not my fault, it still hurts you. Us.”** Her voice was small now, the memorized words erased of her mind by Minjoo’s closeness. She still smells like vanilla and Chaewon just want to sink into her warmth.

She should’ve been more careful dealing with the girl, listening to her words instead of just pushing her own agenda and pressuring her. If she hadn’t push Minjoo away, things wouldn’t have got this bad…It wasn’t fair of her to keep them in this situation. **“I wasn’t supportive enough and ruined things.”**

 **“You didn’t ruin anything. But you’ll if you don’t stop now.”** There was pain in Minjoo’s voice, her hot breath was erratic against Chaewon’s neck, denouncing how disturbed she was.

Of course, they were supposed to stay together, weren’t them? It was hard to even recall a time where they weren’t, none of them wanted to do so. Breaking up meant breaking more their current relationship, it means breaking all the promises they made along the way…It meant breaking their hearts.

For Minjoo breaking up was such a far-off idea that she never even tried to prepare herself for it, even if she knew there was a chance of it happening, she could never simply accept it. Chaewon and her were meant to be together, it was so clear for her. **“You promised you’d be with me for graduation. You promised you’d be with me _forever_.” **No one else could fill the space in her heart like the older Kim, and she wanted to think the same thing was true for Chaewon. **“Don’t give up on us. Stay with me.”**

Chaewon slowly lifted her arms, knowing she should push the girl away and make her decision clear, but Minjoo’s words touched deep inside of her heart. She had never broken a promise to the girl before and here she was now, trying to break so many at once. Moreover, she was trying to break their bond for good.

Her lips quivered, warm tears invading her eyes. Her hands clenched into fists, holding tightly onto the back of Minjoo’s coat as she hugged her back with all her might. She wasn’t ready to say goodbye to Minjoo and everything they had, no matter how broken it may be now.

How could she go when all she wanted to do was stay?

* * *

**“I’m sorry.”** Chaewon now had a warm cup of hot chocolate in hand, just like the younger girl that was sitting beside her at Minjoo’s bedroom floor.

 **“I know. I’m sorry too.”** Minjoo sighed, the hurt in her eyes was still there when she looked at Chaewon. **“I know I failed you too. But it just hurts so much sometimes and there was so much going on…”** The girl hesitated, fighting her tears. **“I don’t want to be the one holding you back, Chae. But I don’t want to lose you.”**

Shaking her head, Chae left her cup aside to reach out to hold Minjoo’s hand into hers. The touch was so familiar and warm that it was almost too much for her vulnerable heart, she used to hold these hands every day, now she couldn’t remember the last time. Lifting her gaze, she noticed the subtle chances in her girl, her face was more slim than she remembered – probably due to her own stress and maybe a late effect of puberty; the different hair style and the way her lips didn’t have the usual smile on them – this last change was her fault and she needed to correct that. **“You are not holding me back, if anything I’m the one that was keeping you waiting.”** With a small sigh, she gave her girl a smile. **“I was trying to do what I thought would be the best and give you the freedom to be with someone else if it was what you wished for.”**

 **“Someone else?”** Minjoo narrowed her eyes at Chaewon’s words, she knew the other woman was just trying to make the right decision for them, but to think Chae thought she could want anyone but her, hurt her heart. **“And who would that be?”**

Chaewon grimaced, avoiding her gaze. Just thinking about the possibility of Minjoo with anyone else was enough to give her a bad feeling, she could play the altruistic part, but deep down she still selfishly wanted Min all to herself. **“I don’t know…Maybe someone you got closer or something. I know you wouldn’t cheat on me, but feelings may change and…”**

 **“You’re jealous!”** Minjoo hit her on the shoulder a couple of times, lightly enough to not hurt her, but firm enough to make an impression. The older didn’t even have time to avoid the hits. **“You’re supposed to be the smart one here! How could I change if I’ve loved you since I was nine?!”**

 **“Nine?!”** Was all Chaewon managed to squeal out as she tried to avoid the hits with a bunch of apologies. **“I-I’m sorry, Minjoo! MinMin, calm down!”**

 **“Nine!”** With one final hit, she clingy onto Chaewon’s arm, resting her head on her shoulder. **“I love you the same.”** With a heavy sigh, she glanced at the girl. For the first time in her life she thought Chaewon was a fool – still, her heart still hurt of affection as her eyes met hers. **“Did it change for you?”** She risked after a minute of silence.

The older shook her head slowly, of course it hadn’t change. There might be billions of people in the world, but Minjoo was Minjoo, and Chaewon’s love was only meant for her. **“No. You’re still my love, I don’t think it could be any other way.”**

Their eyes met, and finally Chaewon saw the glint that was supposed to always light up the chocolate one, instead of the opaque hue of hurt. Her relieved smile was interrupted by gentle lips against hers and she promptly closed her eyes to enjoy the feeling of being with her girl again.

Minjoo hugged Chaewon by the neck, making sure she wouldn’t go anywhere – part of her was still scared the other would change her mind again, Chae’s words would haunt her for days and being by her side would be the only way to calm her heart. But kissing her always had the effect of putting her mind at ease, her body only filled with the warm and gentle feeling of love.

They kissed for a long time. Not the long, deep kisses, that they used to exchange in this room. But shorter, gentle ones that were full of care and maybe a little bit of hesitation at first. It been a while since the last time they were together and they wanted to make this moment last as much as possible.

 **“Kissing won’t solve all of our problems.”** Chaewon said after a while, using a gentle tone and running her hands through Minjoo’s hair to make sure her words wouldn’t be misunderstood. **“We need to talk more, to** **try to connect like we always did.”**

 **“I know.”** The younger Kim snuggled further into her side, hating that they were forced to break the precious moment to deal with the reality. **“I will be braver and more insistent. Prepare to hear from me at all times of the day!”** She wouldn’t be a coward anymore and take the lead, be it at texting or telling how she really feels. She might be younger, but it didn’t mean she should always expect Chaewon to be the one to take charge **. “And don’t even think about rescheduling our hangouts!”** She used her index finger to intimidate the older girl, winning a soft chuckle in return.

 **“I won’t. I won’t nag you about school and college applications again. I shouldn’t have done it to being with, I know you’re smart and responsible.”** Chaewon said giving her an apologetic look, she should trust more in Minjoo’s capability instead of trying to act like her tutor, being an year older didn’t make her that more mature or give her the right to act like the adult here – maybe she was just trying so hard because she felt like it was what people expected from her, and maybe it was for most, but not for Minjoo. From now on, she should focus on what her girlfriend really needs from her. **“We can make things work out. We can make a schedule and I promise I’ll keep it.”**

 **“Soon I won’t be in high school anymore, I can visit you there and…”** Minjoo bite down on her bottom lip, she didn’t want to count on things before it was a reality. But she wanted to tell Chaewon about it for a while now. “ **I applied to your school, if they accept me, maybe we can meet more often.”**

Chaewon’s eyes grew wider in surprise. **“You did?! But I thought you weren’t sure about what you wanted to do.”**

 **“I wasn’t, but I thought about it a lot.”** The younger fidgeted, her gaze still hesitating. What if Chaewon didn’t like the idea? If she felt like she was overstepping the limits for not consulting her before? “ **Please don’t scold me about it. I know what everyone will think, but it’s a good university and is not like I didn’t work…”**

 **“Minjoo?”** Chae interrupted her, a small, but genuinely happy smile on her face. **“I’m not scolding you. I’m actually really happy you want to be near me!”** She kissed her lightly, resting her forehead against hers. She was being selfish again, relying too much on her girl, but she couldn’t help but do so, her heart light with the prospect of seeing Minjoo every day even if it meant to just look at her for a couple of minutes before ending up snoring on her bed after a long day of studying. The thought of having Minjoo with her was enough to give her hope in their future. **“Whether you get in or not, we’ll make things work out. I don’t want to be away from you.”**

Minjoo didn’t reply this time, just hugging her tighter once more, covering her cheeks with sweet kisses that made Chaewon’s head spin a little bit – in the best way possible. Chaewon returned the gesture, kissing her anywhere her lips could land on her face until the younger had an easy, relaxed smile on her face – she wanted to protect this smile and she promised herself she would keep Minjoo happy.

Not everything was magically fixed, but when they were together, all the rest seem small and mundane. It may not be easy, but they could do it, as long as they didn’t allow their foolish fears and tight schedules to keep them apart again.

At the beginning of that night both carried heavy hearts and confused minds, but now that they were together again, things seem much brighter and they would remain like this as long as they worked hard for it.

That week proved it as Chaewon went back to her dorm for her final exams, but didn’t break their promise. It was in the small things: texting about their days, sharing their concerns, and finding time to snap a picture whenever they saw something the other might like so just they could ‘tag’ them on it with the promise they would come together soon. It was only one month until graduation, but Chae collected a bunch of small gifts, that piled up in her old bedroom every time she visited on the weekends – Minjoo was kind enough to pretend not notice it until the day the older girl gave them to her directly.

In one of her visits Chaewon eventually figured out about the existence Yujin’s girlfriend, Wonyoung, in a double date that began with the most awkward atmosphere and end up with both couples sharing laughs and a new friendship formed and – Minjoo made Chaewon pay for their meal that night and Chae couldn’t even protest, served her right for being a jealous girlfriend.

When the graduation day finally came, she was there to keep her promise and Minjoo had a hard time not being the cry baby she was and not crying at the sight of her girlfriend and their parents cheering for her – luckily this time she didn’t trip and fall in front of everyone. Albeit she did fell into Chaewon’s arms right after, giving her signature bear hug that always tested the older girl’s balance.

They made sure to keep the memories of these days recorded in as many pictures as Minjoo managed to take and Chaewon patiently allowed her to – she also had to deal with this for the rest of the summer, but she didn’t mind it all.

They were together, and this time for a long time, even Minjoo’s little antics and habits had become her favorite thing by now – Minjoo wouldn’t point it out, but Chaewon had as many weird habits as her, but it was okay, she loved it all the same.

* * *

A little less than a month before the new academic year, the results for the college entrance exams were out and the Kim duo was waiting anxiously for it.

It was hard to tell who was more nervous that day as they both had to search for Minjoo’s number in the nearly endless list of candidates placed right outside the college. It took them around 10 minutes until Chaewon was able to spot Minjoo’s number, a couple more seconds for her to make sure she had read it correctly. Took her another 20 minutes to stop hugging and spinning her girlfriend around in a very unusual display of affection. Minjoo only laughed between happy tears, joining Chaewon’s enthusiasm. But who could blame them? They would be seeing each other a lot more often from now on and they couldn’t be happier.

They were a little less happy when Minjoo was allocated in the dorm building opposite to Chaewon’s and the hallway monitor insisted on making their nocturne escapades a lot harder. It was fun nonetheless. And totally worth it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m breaking the tradition this time, it wasn’t inspired by any prompt.


	5. Lucky To Fall For You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Minjoo fell, quite literally, for Chaewon.  
> This is a little prequel for “Lucky To find You”, the second OS here, but you can read it as an independent piece.

Chaewon was just minding her own business, heading back to the school’s exit after a long day of boring classes when she noticed someone walking towards her direction – what shouldn’t be anything worth attention as dozen of peoples come and go through this hallway every day, but the stiff way the other girl walked wasn’t normal at all, masking her stand out in the empty hallway. She almost looked like a robot, a malfunctioning one.

She chuckled softly as she watched the girl give her an awkward smile as she tried to brush her hair back with clumsy hands – Kim Minjoo was always quite a sight. Be it by how naturally pretty and adorable she was, or for being equally clumsy. **“Hey, Minguri. Do you have a club meeting today?”**

It was a simple question really, nothing worth getting shocked over – but again, that was Minjoo and Minjoo was a little…Especial, Chaewon couldn’t bring herself to call her a weirdo. **“Oh hi!”** Minjoo had replied with a smile that was both parts cute and flustered. **“No, I’m just…I thought maybe we…Oh!”** Her words were muffled for nothing less the ground below.

Chaewon’s eyes grew wide as she saw the taller woman trip over her own feet and fall, landing on the floor with a thud and a small exclamation that could be due to pain or embarrassment – probably both. It wasn’t the first time it happened.

 **“Minjoo!”** Chae rushed to her side, kneeling beside the girl and helping her to sit down, hands gently patting her back and arms to get rid of any dust as her eyes inspected the pretty face she knew so well by now. **“Are you okay? Did you get hurt anywhere?”** She couldn’t spot any wounds, although Minjoo’s face was painted in a new shade of red. The younger brunette just lowering her head to nod before she struggled to stand up on her own.

The older Kim insisted on helping her up, her hand wrapped around Minjoo’s as she pulled her up with her, keeping her close. **“Ei, it’s fine really. Everyone is clumsy once in a while.”** Chae reassured with a small smile. It wasn’t exactly a lie, everyone could trip and fall once or twice, but for Minjoo it was a common event.

Chaewon had met her only a couple of weeks ago, after an unfortunate event where they both fell into a poll and she had Minjoo panicking over her possible death – she almost died of embarrassment, but only that. The girl seem to be an icon of bad luck, always getting herself into trouble even when she barely did anything. She could recall Minjoo attending the dance team auditions and doing a great work, until the very end when they made eye contact and suddenly the younger girl seem to lose all her grace, knocking herself and two other contestants to the ground; it was unfortunate, but not the only bad thing that happened to her. Minjoo was constantly falling, tripping, getting confused and causing trouble everywhere she goes. This often made people avoid her after an incident, yet Chaewon had never thought about it.

Minjoo was incredibly clumsy – it was a talent really – but she wasn’t only it. She was also kind and bright, determined and smart, always willing to get back to her feet and try again, always willing to offer her help and apologize without hesitation – she was a rare kind of person and Chaewon couldn’t help but find her charming in her own way. It was hard to not fall for Minjoo’s charm when she was so genuine and…

Chae squeezed her hand a little tighter as she realized what she had been thinking, making Minjoo flinch slightly. She blinked, letting go of the girl’s hand and giving her an apologetic smile that wasn’t returned as the other was still looking down, looking at her lightly scratched palm Chaewon had accidentally touched just now. **“I’m sorry. Does it hurt a lot?”**

Minjoo shook her head, finally risking a look at the older girl. She was mortified by the shame. Being clumsy was bad, but it felt much worse when it happened in front of her crush. **“No, it’s fine. I should just get it clean soon.”** She answered in a small voice, her gaze on Chaewon’s worried face – she knew the other would act the same way if anyone else fell so stupidly in front of her, Chaewon was a nice person after all, but she couldn’t help but feel her chest hurt a little at sight of her. **“Thank you. I’m sorry for always causing you trouble.”** Bowing her head, she planned on making her leave. **“It’s like I’m extra clumsy around you.”**

Their first meeting had been a mess, still Chaewon never snapped at her like most people do. She actually reassured her it was okay and even tried to talk to her as they both waited for the nurse discharge them from the school’s nursery, and no matter how awkward she felt initially by the end of the day she felt more comfortable and happier around the other woman. This happened again in their next meetings, Chaewon was always nice and patient, no hesitation in helping her and make the mood light with her teasing that was always just enough to make Minjoo forget about her embarrassment and feel good again. Chaewon wasn’t like the other seniors, she didn’t nag or avoid her, instead she would look for her and strike a conversation like they were old friends – needless to say it was too much for Minjoo’s soft heart. 

Today, her original idea was to show Chaewon her cool side for once, to great her with a stunning smile and make her notice she wasn’t just a junior who constantly fell on her face and maybe even ask her out – she failed in all aspects.

However, she didn’t get to leave. Chaewon’s gentle fingers reaching for her wrist, her grip only strong enough to make Minjoo know she wanted her to stay. **“Why are apologizing for getting hurt? This makes no sense.”** Chaewon clicked her tongue, her free hand coming to cup Minjoo’s face. **“You know, you’re oddly cute. Like a puppy that is still learning how to explore the world.”** She chuckled softly, the sound familiar to Minjoo’s ears, not mocking, just full of fondness. Her thumb brushed against Minjoo’s check, cleaning any trace of dust there.

Min could feel her skin becoming warm again, but the bitter taste of shame didn’t come along with it this time, instead the warm spread through her face and down her neck, slowly warming her whole body. Chaewon’s gaze was intense, yet alluring and she didn’t look away this time, admiring the sweet chestnut of her eyes. **“People usually say I look like a frog and that’s not very cute.”** Was her silly reply, earning her another genuine laugh out of the older brunette.

 **“Then you might as well be the cutest frog I’ve ever seen.”** Chaewon’s eyes twinkle with something else now. Her smile becoming smaller as her gaze dropped from Minjoo’s chocolate eyes to her lips. **“Will you turn into a princess if I give a kiss?”**

Minjoo’s grew wide, making her resemble certain famous frog, a surprised expression on her face as she just stared back at the older girl. **“A k-kiss?!”** Of course, she wanted to say yes, even if Chaewon was just joking, the tiny chance of her offer being genuine was enough to make her heart beat like the whole marching band was having a concert inside her chest. Still, she was tripping over her words, unable to reply properly. **“I...I…Ye-“**

She didn’t get to finish her sentence, soft lips blocking her words in the best way. She instinctively closed her eyes, enjoying the feeling that was so light and warm, comforting in way she never thought a simple peck could be. It didn’t last long, Chaewon’s kiss was gentle and pure, carrying her sincere feelings. It was only enough to make Minjoo’s heart skip a beat and her head feel lighter, only enough for her crush transform into something more.

Chaewon pulled away with a smile, her hand still holding Minjoo’s wrist gently, thumb caressing the back of her hand, making sure to not touch the wounded palm. She wasn’t sure from where so much courage had come from, it wasn’t like her to kiss girls in the middle of a hallway when they weren’t even on an official date. Still, it felt right. But something about the way Minjoo looked at her with her little smile and red cheeks, the way her small, clumsy actions always seem so endearing, made her understand that the light feeling on her chest wasn’t simple empathy for a junior, but something more.

For the past few weeks she had paid much more attention to this girl than to anyone else, and she had caught herself following her around during lunch time under the excuse of helping her to stay out of trouble, claiming she was only making a new friend – when everyone seem to see right past through her act. She knew all along that she just couldn’t stay far away from the cute girl who was a little prone to accidents and so good at capturing her heart. That the pool incident had given her more than a cold, but certain feeling for this girl that she couldn’t simply shake off.

 **“Do you want to go out with me?”** Chaewon managed to ask, her ears red now, as if kissing Minjoo had contaminated her with her blushing tendencies. She felt somewhat nervous now, her eyes wandering around Minjoo’s face in the search of her answer. Should she have waited before kissing her? Even without a proper reply, she had seen in her eyes that the girl wanted it too…Or had she just projected her own wishes onto her? She could still feel the sweetness of Minjoo’s lips on hers, but it was becoming bittersweet sweet now that doubts started to fill her mind as the seconds went and Minjoo remained silent.

She was about to apologize, when the taller brunette spoke.

 **“I didn’t turn into a princess.”** Minjoo said gingerly more to herself than to Chaewon, albeit the older girl could still hear it. 

Chae frowned slightly, unsure of how to respond to it, but she didn’t need to do so.

Minjoo’s gaze came to meet hers, her lips curving into a smile – not her stiff, clumsy one, but the sincere smile that made Chaewon fall a little more for her. **“But can we do it again after our date?”** The younger girl said as a sudden wave of confidence hit her – knowing Chaewon liked her back, regardless of how clumsy she may be, made her feel good, so good that it was hard to keep a straight face and not grin like a fool; she was grinning already, it was impossible to not do it when she notice the way Chaewon’s face relaxed as the older girl nodded.

Chaewon pulled her into a hug, leaving a kiss on the girl’s soft hair. Her silly grin mirrored Minjoo’s, bright and easy. **“You already look like a princess to me, but I don’t mind making sure you remain like this.”**

Minjoo’s only reply was to snuggle up to her, enjoying the embrace. Earlier she couldn’t even walk properly, trying to impress Chae with her silly act, now however, she felt completely comfortable between the brunette’s arms, as if she was meant to be there.

They didn’t mind the curious looks a group of students send their way a minute later – it was luck they hadn’t been caught kissing earlier, but the honestly, it wasn’t like Chaewon or Minjoo was paying attention to anyone else in the moment to care. Chaewon just held Minjoo closer to her chest, feeling the girl’s smile against her neck, making her flutter at such simple action.

 **“Now we just need to find a place to go…Where is it safe to take a clumsy person on a date?”** She had asked in a light tone, receiving a light push in reply.

 **“Chaewon!”** Minjoo tried to pull back, probably to give one of her cute glares.

Chuckling, the older just tightened her hug, not allowing her to break the embrace **. “It’s okay, I’ll make sure you only fall for me from now on.”** Pulling away slightly, she left a kiss on her lips, chaste and quick. **“Let’s treat your hands now, we can think about our date another time.”**

Chaewon never expected to have someone falling, literally, for her, but it surely felt nice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Special thanks to Guka for giving me the prompt, thank you, you know you’re my favorite! Also, shout out to the kids in the 2kim server, I love you all (even the ones in the slums) <3
> 
> Thank you for reading, I’m sorry about any mistakes and see you next time!
> 
> P.S.: Just realized this is my tenth 2kim story! Let’s hope for more 10 to come! Okay, maybe not 10, you guys are tired of me already lol


	6. Practice Makes Perfect

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Having your first (practice) kiss with your best friend could only go one way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Double lines indicate a big time skip (days), single lines a short time skip (hours). It's a silly plot, so don't expect much xD

**“Are you going to accept her?”** Minjoo asked as they both laid on her bed, staring at the white ceiling, wasting time doing nothing instead of finishing the homework they were supposed to be doing – a normal Friday night for the two of them.

 **“Hitomi?”** Chaewon asked, although they both knew who Minjoo was talking about. The cute Japanese girl who had confessed to her through a letter she left on her locker earlier that day – it was sweet and seemed sincere, Chae didn’t know the girl that well but she looked like a nice person as well. Still, she wasn’t sure about how she felt about it. Moving on her place, she closed her eyes with a sigh. **“Hm, I don’t know.”**

Minjoo stole a look at her best friend, curiosity in her dark brown eyes. For some reason the answer didn’t satisfy her. Chaewon wasn’t the type to comment about her crushes, and Minjoo wouldn’t ask her about it most of the time, but she wanted to know this time. **“She’s in my English class. Cute and nice.”**

The older nodded. **“Yeah, but I don’t know if I can see her in that way.”** Hitomi was all that, honestly, she didn’t have a good reason to not give it a try, however her mind and heart didn’t have a consensus about it just yet. She moved again, feeling a little uncomfortable under Minjoo’s gaze. **“What about that freshman that has been following you around?”**

 **“You’ve to answer her on Monday though.”** The taller brunette reminded, before shaking her head slightly. Since when was the topic about her non-existent love life? Her new admirer who had just joined their school had already being the subject of other conversations, always coming to the same conclusion. **“She is pretty cool. Popular too. But I think she may be a player, you know that.”**

 **“Probably.”** It was Chaewon’s time to analyze her friend’s expression – Minjoo was an open book most of the time, but when it comes to this new kid, Chaewon was having trouble reading her. She didn’t quite like the feeling. **“She flirts a lot.”**

 **“But…”** There was hesitation on Minjoo’s voice now, her uncertain coming across as she tried to gather her thoughts. She couldn’t deny her admirer was cute and maybe she shouldn’t judge her too hard before knowing her. Some of her friends even encouraged her to accept the freshman’s advances…Chaewon wasn’t one of them. Lifting herself on her elbows, she looked back at the brunette. **“I kind of want to go out with her. I mean, I haven’t dated anyone yet and maybe I should just give it a try.”**

 **“Hm.”** Was all Chaewon replied at first, an uncomfortable feeling on the back of her throat as if it was closing up with all the words she wouldn’t dare to utter – she didn’t have the right to feel annoyed, and for crying out loud she didn’t even have a reason to dislike Yujin, however the idea of her dating Minjoo just didn’t seem okay to Chaewon. Maybe she was just being overprotective. Nonetheless, she managed to reply in a small voice, giving the best advice she could think about. **“I think you should only date someone you really like.”**

 **“Yeah, I guess you’re right. I don’t really know if I like her yet.”** Minjoo agreed nonchalantly. It was always like this, it only takes Chaewon a sentence to make her change her mind – it was an ability since Minjoo could be quite stubborn at times, but she would always listen to her best friend. Giving her a smile, she blurted out the first thing that came to her mind. **“Chae, you haven’t kissed anyone yet, right?”**

The older Kim furrowed her eyebrows, surprised with the sudden change of topic. **“Why are you asking me this all of sudden?”**

 **“Because I haven’t either. I just feel curious about how it feels like.”** Minjoo just shrugged. They were friends, wasn’t it a normal conversation for people their age to have?

 **“Well it must be nice since people do it all the time.”** Another shrug of shoulders, Chaewon this time. She was never that much into dating to bother with the subject. **“Maybe that’s why everyone wants to date so bad.”**

 **“That’s what I think too.”** Min echoed, her head nodding energetically, making her bangs cover her eyes for a moment – Adorable, Chaewon couldn’t help but smile at her childish ways. Her smiled turned into a grimace with the brunette’s next words though. **“But what if I suck at it? What if I get a perfect girlfriend and I just mess it up because I never did it before?”**

 **“I…”** Well, technically she couldn’t really reassure the other girl, but it seemed impossible that Minjoo out of all people would suck at kissing – not that she thought about Minjoo and kissing often, _of course not_. **“I don’t think this is possible. I mean, how hard can it be?”**

Minjoo made a face, unconvinced. **“I read that some people just start drooling without noticing it and it’s like super disgusting.”**

 **“Ew!”** Chaewon shot her a disgusted look. **“Just don’t do that!”**

 **“But what if I do it without noticing?”** Now the younger Kim looked genuinely concerned – maybe reading her older sister’s old magazines wasn’t that great of an idea. **“What if I ruin things because I’m like a huge dog?”**

Chaewon brought a hand to cover her own face, facepalming her silly friend. **“If anything, you’re like a frog.”** Turning to face the other girl, she frowned slightly. **“Why don’t you just practice?”**

Minjoo mirrored her frown, pouting. She didn’t want to ruin her first ever kiss being clumsy, she was so picky about her admirers and when she finally finds the right one, she wanted it to be perfect – or else she would just hide herself in a hole due to the embarrassment. **“With a pillow or my arm? No, I don’t think it would be of any help.”** Shaking her head, her pout grew bigger making her look even cuter.

For someone talking about kissing, she still looked a lot like a little kid – a really pretty one.

 **“Then just use me.”** Chaewon had no idea where this came from, an impulse of the moment – or maybe it was just her way of pushing her own wishes in a not-so-subtle way; she would probably regret it later, but for now, she just followed her impulse. **“I mean, we could just…It won’t count as a first one if it’s just practice, right?”**

Chaewon expected a rejection, being shoved aside playfully as Minjoo laughed at her stupid idea, but it didn’t happen.

The younger girl sat on the bed, a concentrated expression on her face before she nodded slowly. **“Let’s do it!”** There was determination on her tone, her big dark chocolate eyes with a new glint as she looked at her best friend – Chaewon looked cute with the surprised look on her face, and Minjoo almost laughed at her expression, it somehow easing up her nerves and making the decision so much easier. She would rather kiss Chaewon over her pillow any day – a weird sentence, but it was the truth.

Awkwardly, Chaewon did the same, sitting up in a way they both could face each other. Minjoo was right in front of her, close enough for her to just rest her hands comfortably around her waist and bring her in a little closer – slowly, gingerly, afraid the other would change her mind soon. It still didn’t seem real that they were taking her crazy idea seriously, but the younger didn’t show any resistance, her face still full of determination as if they were about to battle someone and not just exchange a kiss.

 **“Okay. Let’s just do it slowly and you can tell me if you like it or not.”** She said trying to take the lead, albeit her nerves were starting to kick in.

The younger didn’t hesitate though, resting her hands on Chaewon’s lean shoulders. Chaewon always made her feel at ease, even now she couldn’t feel nervous when the person in front of her was someone she trusted and cared so much, it may seem a little embarrassing but she wouldn’t take back her decision **“Alright.”**

For a moment they just stood there, eyes inspecting each other’s face, unsure about what to do next.

Minjoo’s arms circled Chae's neck, pulling her a little closer and the older took it as a signal to proceed. Taking in a deep breath she leaned in to gently brush her nose angst Minjoo’s, their eyes locked, breaths intertwining as they got used to being this close. Minjoo nodded slightly, closing her eyes and allowing Chaewon to brave up enough to brush her lips on hers. It wasn’t a proper kiss, barely a peck, just enough for her to feel how soft the skin under hers was.

It felt nice.

Minjoo had a small smile on her face when Chaewon broke the contact, opening her eyes to meet the chestnut ones that were filled with questions. **“It was good. But too quick.”** She judged, trying to act like Chaewon’s closeness didn’t make her heart flutter. **“Can I try it too?”**

The other looked relieved as she nodded. For her, kissing Minjoo felt natural, almost like they had always done it. Still, she wasn’t sure the feeling was mutual until her friend spoke. She was more than willing to accept the peck when Minjoo approached, eyes closing automatically to enjoy the contact of the soft lips on hers, a little longer this time.

Minjoo was a bit clumsy, her hot breath hitting the other girl’s face and her lips a little heavy on hers at first, but it was so sweet. The fact that she kept her hands around Chaewon’s neck, playing with her hair and caressing her nape made it all better. That’s why Chaewon didn’t protest when the brunette opened her mouth a bit, to take in her bottom lip and kiss it – she actually loved the feeling of kissing her best friend.

For Minjoo it wasn’t that different. She thought she would be a little paranoid thinking about what and how to do it properly, but now that she was kissing Chaewon her mind was blank, only aware of the way their mouths fit together so well, how warm Chae’s breath was and how her loose embrace made her feel safe and welcomed. She didn’t want to break the kiss, she wanted to get closer – and so she did, imitating the things she had seen on TV and praying she wasn’t being too awkward doing it.

Chae’s thinner lips felt nice between hers, and she tasted each of them slowly, not missing a single pleasant shiver that was sent down her spine every time they mouths moved in sync -- she wasn’t sure if she was doing the right thing here but Chaewon seemed to enjoy it as well, following her every move.

Pulling away slightly, she stared at her friend with a dumb smile on her face – it was just practice, why did it make her feel so ridiculously happy? Would it feel the same if she was kissing anyone else? Looking at Chaewon’s eyes that had always been her favorite ones, she found it hard to believe. She was kissing someone she loved – as a friend or more? – and trusted, someone she knew well and still appreciated every aspect, she was even pretty cute…What? Minjoo blinked in awe, her smile hesitating as she realized what she was thinking.

 **“Min? Was it too much? I-”** Chaewon said with a worried look on her face, she tried to break the embrace, but the taller girl didn’t allow her, keeping her arms around her.

 **“No, it’s not it. I just…Like it a lot.”** Maybe she liked Chae a lot. She always had pushed aside this kind of thoughts, but now they were just there and it was hard to not think about it. **“Don’t you?”** It shouldn’t, but in that moment her answer mattered so much and Minjoo kept her dark eyes on hers.

A light blush covered Chaewon’s cheeks, in the position they were, she wasn’t able to avoid Minjoo’s strong gaze, therefore she had no choice but to be sincere. **“I really like it, too. I wouldn’t mind doing it again.”**

Minjoo bit back a smile. **“So, do it.”**

Chae just stared at her blankly for a moment, before something clicked inside of her. Minjoo liked it as much as she did, so it was okay for her to want more of it, it was okay for her to want more of _Minjoo_. All this had started thanks to someone else’s confession, still there was no place for anyone but Minjoo in her mind right now. Perhaps it never was to begin with, after all she had just dashed out of class after receiving Hitomi’s letter, going to find Minjoo instead of looking for the Japanese girl.

Kissing her best friend once was okay, she could use the excuse of just practicing and that it would be all, but if they just kept going…Her body was willing to do it, but her heart made her question the decision.

Ultimately, her body won as Minjoo gently caressed her nape in a subtly way to ask her to get close again – she didn’t hesitate in doing so, this time to give her the proper kiss she wanted.

Sucking lightly her bottom lip, Chaewon tasted her strawberry lip balm that was oddly addictive and she could feel Minjoo’s small, happy sigh as she continued her ministrations on her lips. She risked touching her lips with her tongue to feel the taste better, nibbling on the soft skin and bringing it into her mouth in a playful bite. Min’s grip on her became stronger, the brunette pulling her even closer and Chaewon could sense a smile on her lips before she giggled softly, returning the soft bite.

Feeling braver, Chaewon slid her tongue inside her mouth and regretted the decision almost immediately – Minjoo tasted even better than the lip balm, but the girl had become stiff with her actions and Chae pulled back right away. **“Not okay?”**

 **“You taste like mint choco…”** Minjoo said frowning slightly, before letting out an airy chuckle. **“It’s weird, but I like it.”** Chae looked confused, but Minjoo didn’t give her time to ask any questions, kissing her right away.

She didn’t think she would ever French kiss her friend – and like it so much –, but now she just wanted to melt into Chaewon’s warmth and enjoy the kiss, even if it tasted like mint choco and she hated the flavor of it in anything other than on Chaewon’s lips.

At first it was a little clumsy, they both trying to explore each other’s mouths a little too quickly, however it didn’t take long for them to find the perfect pace, gentle touches and slow moves that made her head spin. As if they had a silent agreement, Minjoo always moved the opposite way, making their lips always find each other without awkward nose bumps, the kiss getting deeper and more intimate by the minute.

Chae hugged her better, tightly, her hands running through her back just like hers ran through the other girl’s soft dark hair.

They had to separate to breath eventually, Chaewon ending the kiss with a couple of pecks that let Minjoo wanting for more, a whinny sound leaving her lips. Chaewon let out a breathless chuckle, her hands patting Minjoo’s back lightly as she tried to catch her breath and the younger did the same.

It could become awkward really quickly, but for some reason it didn’t. Maybe because they were still in each other’s embrace, their breaths still mixed, involving both girls in a bubble of warmth that was more than a just a physical reaction, but the comfort brought by the trust they shared – yes, it wasn’t what friends are supposed to do, but none of them could think of someone better to share that moment. At least for now.

 **“I don’t think you need to worry about ruining anything. You’re not so bad at this.”** Chae broke the silence giving Minjoo a smile that was both parts playful and embarrassed. **“You barely drooled.”** With this remark her smile grew into a grin and Minjoo glared at her, using her arms around her neck to pull her close and give her best 'angry face' – what was cuter rather than threatening.

 **“It’s too bad I can’t say the same about you.”** The younger Kim tried to maintain her glare as she spoke, however seeing the way Chaewon’s face contracted to turn her grin into an awkward, insecure smile, she couldn’t keep it up. She pecked her lips lightly a couple of times, apologetically, one hand gently tracing her jawline – Chae looked a little confused, but she didn’t avoid the kisses and her smile became more relaxed the more Minjoo did it. **“That’s why we should keep on practicing. For a long time.”** Not giving her the time to argue she went in for another kiss, her body automatically reacting to It, now more used to feelings that the contact gave her.

She smiled between the kiss as she felt Chaewon’s lips starting to move under hers, deepening the kiss and pulling her into a tighter embrace again – she concluded she loved being in Chae’s arms the most.

Minjoo wasn’t sure about for how long it went on, their kisses being cut only to give place to even deeper ones. They eventually had laid down, Chaewon gracing her jaw with some open-mouthed kisses that sent goosebumps down through her body in the best way, and the younger risking to steal just a few pecks at the girl's exposed neck that seem so inviting. They didn’t really talk, just exchanging some looks that were enough for letting both know they were still okay with it, her hand eventually finding Chaewon’s to hold it and intertwine their fingers – it was silly when they were already all over each other, but still brought her a feeling of happiness and safety. Chaewon kissed their joint hands, giving her a smile that was worth all her college savings.

Minjoo felt like she was floating even if her mouth was a little numb from all the kissing.

They lost track of the time, what wasn’t surprising at all, until Chaewon’s phone ringing brought them back to reality and the girl had to break one of their many kisses to look for the device – Minjoo let out a whiny sound of complaint, but also sat up to help her find the phone.

Unsurprisingly, it was Chaewon’s mother asking her if she would stay over Minjoo’s for dinner because it was getting late and just then the girl realized they had been at it for over an hour – with her ears burning red, she told her mother she would be on her way home soon, before hanging up.

 **“Are you going home? You could stay for dinner, my parents won’t arrive until later, but I can cook… _Try_ to.”** Minjoo said pulling on Chae’s sleeve to get her attention. After cuddling – or maybe ‘making out’ was a better term for it –, she felt extra clingy to Chaewon, and she was a naturally clingy person when it comes to the older girl.

The word ‘parents’ had an affect on the older Kim, who just shook her head in a negative. She didn’t want to leave, but thinking about facing Minjoo’s parents after what they just did made her face turn as red as a tomato. Her mother was already waiting for her, she couldn’t change her mind now – she actually could, but she was afraid being alone with Minjoo would be awkward and her parents’ imminent arrival didn’t make it any easier.

 **“Don’t you always order food? Just order something nice.”** She said giving her a smile and reaching for her hand to squeeze it lightly. Chaewon might be flustered, yet she didn’t want to give Minjoo the wrong impression – she may be a little coward, but she didn’t want to make the moment they had just shared turn into a bitter memory by running away. **“I’ll call you later, okay? We can finish homework at the library tomorrow.”**

Minjoo wasn’t exactly happy with the way things turned out, still she couldn’t help but smile at Chaewon’s words said in such a sweet tone. Slowly she nodded in agreement, eating alone wasn’t her favorite thing, but she didn’t try to push it. She pulled Chae to a hug. **“Be careful on the way home. Don’t forget to call.”**

 **“Min, I live two streets away.”** Chae smiled fondly at her, feeling warm with her care. Something had changed, and she couldn’t ignore it, but Minjoo was still her Minjoo and if anything, she only grew fonder of her. **“You take care of yourself, I’ll ask for pictures of your food.”**

The younger rolled her eyes at her words, breaking the embrace to face Chaewon **. “I’ll walk you to the door.”** Standing up before the other could protest, she helped to collect the older girl’s things – Chae knew the way out, but she still insisted on walking her downstairs.

They didn’t hold hands, only stealing glances at each other. They were used to being close, this sense of awkwardness was new, and not welcomed. Practice should just be _practice_ , meaning no weird tension or overthinking, however they both couldn’t simply leave it behind.

Stopping by the front door, they exchanged a look, no one daring to say anything for a moment. It felt weird to just leave without addressing the elephant in the room. Both tried to say something at the same time, giving up as soon as they saw the other open her mouth…It was so awkward that it was funny and they couldn’t help but laugh.

 **“I don’t want us to be awkward. It’s not how we are.”** Chaewon was the first to say, giving Minjoo a tentative smile. **“It was…You know. I don’t regret it.”**

Minjoo’s chest felt lighter with her words, making it easy to smile back at her. **“I don’t want it either. It was nice to just be together for a little while…Even if it’s only practice.”** She averted her eyes to her own hands, not wanting to show all of her emotions and knowing how well Chaewon could read her – was it of any use? Maybe hiding it was just silly. Lifting her gaze, she managed to ask. **“Are we doing it again?”**

The shorter girl looked for Minjoo’s eyes, the chestnut of hers facing the onyx-like orbs that reflected so well Minjoo’s thoughts – it was the same for her, unsure, but eager. She didn’t want it to end. **“Yes. But only if you want it too.”**

Minjoo didn’t reply her with words, instead she just leaned in to give her a kiss – different from the others, it carried a message that Chaewon could understand very well.

Chaewon arrived twenty minutes late at home, smelling like vanilla and strawberry.

* * *

* * *

**“Do you think I should just text her or give her a letter? Maybe talking in person would be the best…”** Chaewon trailed off with a compenetrated expression as she walked with Minjoo to class – they were in different years, but Chaewon would usually take the long path so she could walk the younger girl to class before going to her own classroom.

Minjoo loved it, but not so much today.

It was the Monday after their eventful weekend and Chaewon couldn’t stop talking about Hitomi and her letter – and Minjoo couldn’t help but feel more and more annoyed, the initial disappointment and the hints of sadness turning into anger. **“It’s up to you. Why do you keep asking me about it?”**

They had spent the whole weekend together, with a whole bunch of kisses during their breaks from studying and albeit Chaewon hadn’t mentioned anything about ‘practicing’, Minjoo was sure it was much more than that, or else what could explain their cuddle session while watching Minjoo’s favorite Japanese drama – that Chae didn’t really like – which included peppering kisses on her cheeks and loving stares. Chaewon couldn’t be such a pro at practicing – if she was, Minjoo was surely hitting her with her english notebook.

 **“I’m sorry. I always ask you about everything.”** The older brunette replied with an apologetic look. Truth be told, she just wanted to answer to Hitomi’s confession as soon as possible, but she couldn’t help but feel a little nervous about it. She hadn’t received a confession like this before and she wasn’t sure about how to handle the situation, Minjoo’s unusual moodiness wasn’t helping. **“But you’re right, I know what I should do.”** With a resolute expression she reached out to take Minjoo’s hand on hers, giving a smile. **“Can you please call her for me? I’ll wait by the stairs.”** The request came with a – tentative of – kiss on the cheek that was skillfully avoided by a pretty angry looking Minjoo as she shrugged off her hand.

 **“I told you, do it yourself.”** Min snapped, her tone very different from the sweet one she always used with Chaewon.

The older brunette blinked in surprise, a little shocked with such a strong reaction. She could understand the other girl not being in the best mood – it was a Monday after all –, but it wasn’t like Minjoo to snap at her like this, especially not after spending half the weekend in her arms acting like a happy little fox – now she still looked like a fox, but a very feisty one.

For a moment Chae just watched the younger Kim march to her seat in awe, however she had to snap out of it soon – she only had twenty minutes before class and she still had to talk to Hitomi. Taking a deep breath, she mastered the courage to look for the Japanese girl herself, walking with her to the rooftop so they could talk without interruptions.

She felt more than saw Minjoo’s glare as she left the classroom with Hitomi, but she did her best to ignore it.

* * *

Minjoo barely paid attention to class that morning, her eyes on the cute Japanese student who had comeback just in time for their class to start – what had Chaewon told her? She still had that annoying hamster smile on her face like always, although Minjoo did find it much more annoying than usual today.

More than angry at Hitomi, she felt particularly mad at her best friend – _that good for nothing woman that don’t deserve this title_ , she corrected herself mentally – for making her think they had something special, when she was just using her as _practice_ to date the person she really wanted.

Kim took in a deep breath, averting her gaze from the girl to her empty desk – her phone safely kept on her bag, where she wouldn’t be able to see any texts from Chaewon –, she could feel a burning sensation behind her eyes, but she forced herself to swallow the tears. It was stupid. So freaking stupid. Why did she even agree with Chaewon’s dumb idea to begin with? Now she had lost her first kiss and wounded her heart just because she couldn’t say ‘no’ to the other Kim.

The bell rang, informing it was lunch time and she didn’t move from her seat, ignoring her classmates looks and just sending them off with the excuse of finishing homework for the next class – she also ignored Hitomi’s polite bow and smile, avoiding eye contact.

She didn’t feel like going out to see Chaewon and Hitomi together, at least not for now – a even dumber part of her still wanted her friend to be happy even if it wasn’t with her, but she felt like she would burst into tears if she had to pretend to be happy about it in the moment.

Crossing her arms over the desk, she hid her head on it, letting out a deep sigh. She would probably cry like a baby later, but for now she had to control herself.

 **“Min? Why didn’t you reply to my texts?”** A very familiar voice sounded, ruining what was left of her control. Quick steps followed, and she didn’t even need to look to know Chaewon had kneeled by her side with the concerned expression she always showed in moments like this – like a baby tiger ready to attack, soft but fierce. **“Are you sick? You should’ve called me, I would’ve-”**

 **“Just go with your girlfriend and let me be.”** She finally said, lifting her head to face Chaewon’s chestnut gaze – Minjoo, albeit trying so hard, couldn’t help but feel her lips quivering and tears blurring her vision as she looked at Chae and her chest tightened. She always knew she loved Chaewon, the only problem was that she had never thought about the dimension of this affection and now it was hitting her like a punch. **“Please, just go. I want to be alone.”** Her voice was betraying her, breaking, and it was a matter of seconds for her to break down completely if Chaewon didn’t leave her side.

And of course she didn’t, it was Kim Chaewon after all.

 **“Girlfriend?”** Chae was genuinely confused for a moment, although her brain quickly put together the pieces of the simple puzzle that was their situation. Now Minjoo’s moodiness made perfect sense. It was almost funny to her, and if it wasn’t for the way the younger looked like she was about to cry, she would’ve laughed. **“Well, I did come to her. She doesn’t look very pleased to see me though.”** Giving her a small smile, she reached out to cup Minjoo’s face in between her hands, fondness in her eyes as she stared at the face she loved so much. **“I wanted to talk to Hitomi to reject her confession. I wasn’t sure about how to do it, but she accepted it well when I said I already have someone in my life.”** Her smile grew bigger just like Minjoo’s eyes, Chae’s thumbs coming to wipe away her tears **. “She even asked me if it was you and I said yes.”**

Talking to Hitomi was surprisingly easy, the younger Japanese girl accepted her apologize with a smile and although she looked a bit sad, she wished her and Minjoo all the best and Chaewon made sure to tell her they could be good friends if she wanted to. It never occurred her that Minjoo may think she was going to accept the confession – how could she when her and Minjoo were so good together? Even if they hadn’t pushed the boundaries of their friendship under that silly excuse, she would still have rejected Hitomi because her heart was already with someone else, one way or another.

Minjoo’s chest was slowly becoming warm and light, every word Chaewon said making her heart heal, just to flutter for the older Kim. She felt like a fool for just assuming things and ignoring Chae. She knew she could trust her, still… **“Why didn’t you tell me you were going to reject her?”** She put into words the question on her mind, her voice still a little too low and whiny due to the crying, but her eyes weren’t burning anymore, instead her usual smile was risking to make a comeback.

 **“I just thought you’d know. I can’t ditch my practice partner.”** Chaewon’s smile was contagious and she smiled back at her, receiving a soft kiss in response.

Hugging her by the neck, Minjoo brought her closer to rest their foreheads together. Chaewon’s warm breath and mint scent were enough to put her at ease – she apologized to Hitomi mentally for cursing the girl, when she was the lucky one here. **“Just for practice?”** She asked, looking for something in Chaewon’s eyes – it was easy to find, Chae might not always be vocal about her feelings, but her eyes never lied and all she could see in them was fondness and care, the recipe for love.

 **“Isn’t dating just practicing for the future? Then I guess my answer is yes.”** Another peck, longer this time, followed by a fond smile as Chae hugged her. **“Please inform your admirer you’re already taken, will you?”** Her smile was a smirk now, her eyes playful as she kissed Minjoo before the girl could protest her words – she wouldn’t anyway, she was more than happy to accept the new terms for their relationship. 

Grinning like a fool, Minjoo broke the contact, keeping the other girl closer to sprinkle her cheeks with soft kisses. **“You know, you’re supposed to ask my opinion too. Although I reckon practice is not that bad.”** She imitated the way Chaewon always talks, earning herself a small chuckle and yet another kiss, that she playfully avoided – it was ironic how easy it was for Chaewon to break and fix her, but she couldn’t be any gladder to have her there now. **“Is kissing me all you want?”**

Chaewon hesitated, mirroring her smile with a mischievous one. **“There are cuddles, and hugs and every time you smile at me…But sure, I really like the taste of your lip balm.”**

Minjoo raised her eyebrows, biting back a smile. **“So, if I change it, you won’t kiss me again?”**

 **“Then I’ll have to kiss you even more, because I may like your lip balm, but I love you.”** And as if to prove her point, Chaewon kissed her again, muffling her happy giggles with her lips. Minjoo didn’t mind the interruption.

They regretted not having taken some time to eat later, but both girls were too happy to pay their stomachs much attention – they still ran to a nearby restaurant after school though, not the most romantic place for their official first date, but they enjoyed it all the same.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Today’s prompt: “Chaewon and Minjoo as friends in school before they’re together. They awkwardly use each other to learn how to/practice kissing and end up making out passionately until their mouths are sore.” It’s from the prompt generator, but my friend guka was the one who encourage me to finish it, so credits to her!


	7. Sharing Your Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Minjoo wasn’t the type to act cold, but even her had her limits, and getting ignored by her girlfriend for three hours was it.

It wasn’t like Chaewon was an inconsiderate girlfriend, she was actually very caring and reliable most of the time – but even the best girlfriends have their weak points and today Minjoo figured Chae’s came in the form of her very nice, yet incredibly loud friends. Chaewon was holding to her hand as they boarded the plane, but the moment she noticed two very familiar figures – and oddly similar to her –, she didn’t even think twice before going to check on them and they were hugging and being as noisy as kids in a blink of an eye. Minjoo had followed her and even received some hugs herself, however, it didn’t take long for the trio of friends to engage in a conversation only they could understand, full of old inside jokes she couldn’t comprehend to save her life. 

Being the understanding girlfriend she was, she had excused herself after whispering to Chaewon that she shouldn’t take too long since the flight would start soon. So, she took her rightful seat, leaving the seat beside her free as she waited for her girlfriend to join. 

And she waited. A lot. 

The flight was only three hours long and during those three hours all she could hear was _Joyuriz –_ how Chaewon, Yena and Yuri liked to call themselves _–_ chatting loudly about some weird show they used to watch together – so much that they were even reprimanded by one of the flight attendees once; not enough though, since her girlfriend didn’t bother coming back to her seat instead of staying with her fake twins.

Scrap the understanding part, after three hours of flight, Minjoo was anything but understanding. She would probably hit Chaewon with the magazine she had been pretending to read the whole flight. It wasn’t like she disliked Yena and Yuri – they were the type that is impossible to not love, even if they weren’t as close –, and she could understand Chaewon missed her friends, but a whole flight? The freaking flight she had spent extra money to get them seats together? The one flight that would take them home after a romantic trip? Yeah, she would definitely hit Chaewon with the magazine. She wondered if the company would charge her some extra for ruining the reading material. 

As soon as the plane landed, she went to get the light backpack she had brought and she would have left if the noisy trio didn’t approach her to do the same. **“Oh, Minguri! Sorry for stealing _Ssamu_ from you, we had some catch up to do!” **Yena said giving her a dorky smile that was hard to not return, Yuri who was clinging onto her girlfriend nodded. 

** “Yeah, sorry, Min! Next time we should grab a drink, alright?”  **

Minjoo could just give them a tight-lipped smile, waving to them as the girls left the plane ahead of them while Chaewon still tried to fish her bag from the compartment. Rolling her eyes, she reached out to pull the bag in a single motion – ah, the great power that comes with anger –, for Chaewon’s horror she threw it in her arms without any care, leaving before the shorter girl could protest. 

** “Kim Minjoo! Wait for me!”  ** Chae had to jog to keep up with the younger woman, trying to not bump into anyone as they made their way out of the plane and to the airport where they had to find the rest of their things – because of course they couldn’t travel light, what meant dealing with a moody Minjoo as she tried her best to get their suitcases without causing any accidents; Minjoo just crossed her arms as she struggled with the heavy luggage. 

No one could say Minjoo was subtle about her anger. However, Chaewon was a little confused about the reason for it. 

** “Minjoo?” ** She called as they waited walked to the airport’s exit, struggling with carrying the luggage while keeping up with Minjoo’s long strides. **“Minjoo! What’s wrong with you today?!”** She complained, panting as she tried to keep up with the girl – she only received a sharp glare in return, before Minjoo started to walk even faster.

When Chaewon finally reached the girl, she was already inside the cab and the driver waited impatiently for Chaewon to help her to put the luggage into the trunk. The older Kim took a deep sigh as she sat beside her girlfriend who was blatantly ignoring her while playing on her phone. What the hell was happening? Minjoo was never the type to act in such an inconsiderate way, even in her bad days, she was never this grumpy for no reason. 

** “Okay, got it. Let’s not talk then!” ** She muttered, now annoyed too, giving up on trying to argue with the other Kim. Arguing in the back of a taxi didn’t seem like a pleasant experience. 

So, she tried to think of a reason for her usually sweet and loving girlfriend turning into such a rude person all of sudden. They had woken up together that morning, in the most comfortable of the cuddles, then had a good breakfast at their hotel and went to the airport where Minjoo seemed pretty happy, blabbering about all the places they visited and all the pictures she had taken, after it they only boarded the plane and she had met Yuri and Yena… **“Oh…”** She grimaced to herself. 

The _Joyuriz_ effect.

Ever since they were kids, Chaewon and the other two girls were inseparable. They not only shared similar physical features, they also seem to share the same brain – or the lack of one at times –, what put them in a perfect sync that was just perfect to make their friendship the best one could have. No matter what they were doing, it was always fun to be around the other two. Of course, as they grew up, they didn’t spend as much time together, especially now that Chaewon had enrolled into a different college and found herself a girlfriend while the other two were busy dating each other and trying to survive their own majors.

Meeting them by chance at such place made her feel as excited as a child, happy to see them again after a while and eager to take the opportunity and make up for the lost time. It wasn’t her intention to push Minjoo aside. Actually, she didn’t even realize she had spent the whole flight talking to the girls until she heard the announcement that they were about to land – and then it was too late. 

Minjoo was ignoring her since she felt ignored earlier, and even though Chaewon did find her reaction a little exaggerated, she couldn’t deny the girl had the right to feel a little annoyed – she had reserved her a seat by the window, and Chae didn’t even bother to sit there, moreover look outside. Spending the flight by herself probably wasn’t a great experience.

She knew her girlfriend well enough to know it was better to give her some space, before trying to approach her – but just a bit or this silly fight might end up with her sleeping in the other room.

* * *

Chaewon was a little overly nice today and Minjoo knew for sure the other girl had finally understood she had made a mistake – it was hard to stay mad at her when she was so good at making amends. For starter, she had volunteered to unpacked their stuff, even if Minjoo told her it wasn’t necessary and she could do it on her own, Chae insisted on it. Then she proceeded on suggesting her to take a nap while she would take care of preparing them something for a late lunch – they both knew Chaewon hates cooking and she would usually try to avoid doing it, so this offer was something new. Of course, Minjoo had tried her best to ignore her efforts and just shrug her shoulders nonchalantly, heading to her room and leaving the brunette to deal with the kitchen. 

Her original plan was to sleep off her anger – she couldn’t stay mad at her girlfriend for long and it would be foolish of her to push it just to get back at Chae –, but as she laid down on her bed, she found herself thinking, the sleep not coming to visit her. 

She had met Chaewon in her first year of college, a little over two years ago, they both renting rooms at the medium sized house a few blocks away from college. 

Minjoo had chosen the place since the price wasn’t that bad and she would have more freedom there than staying at the dorms, she had met the two occupants of the house before – Eunbi, the oldest one, seem to be the one in charge of the interviews and although nice, she was rather incisive, asking her a bunch of questions and laying down some rules before informing Minjoo she could move in within the week; the other girl, Sakura, was hiding behind a pair of glasses but as soon as she started talking about the individual rooms that were so good for sleeping and gaming, it was clear she was far from the shy type. They both seemed nice and easy to get along with, a good combo for roommates.

Back then, she had also met the third occupant of the room, a freshman like her who was also trying to find a place to stay – Chaewon. They hadn’t really spoken, Minjoo just coming in at the time Chaewon was already leaving after her interview, they just exchanged a quick awkward greeting made through polite half bows. Shy smiles as their gazes met, but Eunbi called her in before they could say anything. She was too nervous to think about it at the time, yet she was pleasantly surprised to meet her again three days later when both of them were moving into the place. 

At first sight Chaewon looked a little intimidating, with those deep chestnut eyes and her lack of words, Minjoo felt like they couldn’t be any more different. This impression, however, didn’t last very long. As the weeks went by, they got closer bit by bit. Chaewon started to wait for her so they could head to class together even if they belonged to different departments, the slightly shorter woman would greet her with a tentative smile and once in a while she would risk a question about her studies or hobbies, and little by little those interactions evolved into a comfortable friendship as Minjoo realized that the girl she labeled as intimidating was just a bit shy and needed some time to warm up to others. 

She also discovered Chaewon was actually really caring and protective, even if she often was the one that needed protection – her failed attempts at cooking that led to burned food and spilled oil were the proof of it. Chae could put up a strong front, but she had a sweet side to her; and of course, her humor that was equal pats annoying and endearing made her quite an interesting companion. Minjoo caught herself spending a ridiculous amount of time bickering with the girl be it through texts or in person. Not only that, bickering was only part of their routine that also included long conversations about all sort of things – from the movies they watched together to their dreams and hopes, and even comfortable silences that were as precious –, Chaewon slowly became a big part of her life and Minjoo welcomed her wholehearted. 

**_ “So, we should go and watch a movie. And eat. Or eat and then watch a movie.”  _ ** _ Chaewon had the tips of her ears a bright red that morning as they stood in the kitchen, the ponytail making it harder for her to hide it, although she nervously touched it once in a while, fidgeting. She was doing her best and failing in pretending this was just a casual invitation, but her eyes were full of expectation as she glanced at Minjoo. _

_ Min wasn’t that much better at hiding her feelings, a light blush covering her cheeks and painting her Indian dimples that insisted on popping as she smiled. She had noticed the way Chaewon would look at her when she thought she wasn’t paying attention, and the way she sometimes would hold her hand using some lame excuse like wanting to keep her closer while they made their way back home, the way she would hug her just a little longer than the others and kiss her cheek…She noticed and liked the feeling it brought her, she would often return these small gestures, showing her a little more affection whenever they were alone.  _

_ It was a pleasant surprise to see that Chaewon decided to take their innocent flirting to a new level. _

**_ “Should I call the others or…?” _ ** _ She tried pointing with her thumb to the closed doors where the rooms were located, wanting a final confirmation before giving her answer – okay, maybe it was a little bit because she liked to see a cute, flustered Chaewon too. But she promised she would make up for teasing her later. _

**_ “The others? No, no! I mean, other time, not this time because…Because I want it to be just the two of us.” _ ** _ Chaewon managed to say, a little too quickly, her words overlapping as she tried to explain. Taking a deep breath, she finally was brave enough to face Minjoo directly, her chestnut eyes filled with both, hope and insecurity. **“I’m asking you on a date.”** _

_ The younger’s smile grew into a grin as she reached to touch the tip of her right ear, making the girl blink in confusion. **“Sakura was right, your ears really go red when you’re embarrassed. It’s cute.”** Letting out a soft chuckle, she looked at the girl with fondness. **“And you look really cute too…If I’m not being obvious enough, this is a big yes!”** She made sure to add before Chaewon’s ears combusted in flames and their date had to happen in a hospital. _

A silly smile adorned her face as she remembered how Chaewon so awkwardly asked her out for the first time, it was a nice memory now, but she still could remember how nervous and excited she had been that night – even if nothing much happened, the two of them too nervous to make a move. Took them two more dates for a first kiss, still, the memories were sweet and made her feel at ease.

Remembering the beginning of their relationship also reminded her of how hard it was for Chaewon to warm up to people and show her real self, even now, most of the time she wouldn’t allow herself to show her more carefree side unless they were alone. Earlier, seeing Chaewon being so loud and bubbly in the company of her best friends was almost shocking. It was amazing how the other girls could make her feel so comfortable to the point of her not minding looking silly in front of others, too focused in their little world. 

How could she get mad at her for it? Of course, she would love being included next time, but she would have to be a cold-hearted person to not support Chaewon and her friendship with the rest of the _Joyuriz_ – for crying out loud, they even had a squad name, this as far as a friendship can go. 

Reaching for her cellphone, she sent a couple of texts.

* * *

Chaewon absolutely despised those hell holes that were called kitchens, and all the dangerous objects that permeated it – with the exception of the good old freezer and the microwave, of course. She was regretting not accepting the cooking lessons Eunbi offered her before moving out, maybe she would be in a little less of trouble now. 

One hour had passed, and all she produced were some very suspicious looking scrambled eggs that tasted burned and salty – she decided throwing it away was the only decent thing to do unless she wanted to give her girlfriend food poisoning. She wasn’t proud of it, but she had called a restaurant for some food – better buy it than poison the two of them with her failed omelets. Still, she had to clean up all the mess she had made and she would have to finish unpacking their stuff soon…Note to self: never anger MinMin again. 

Her girlfriend was perfect in almost every way, she was kind, loving, smart and beautiful – and Chaewon had fall for her pretty much from the very start. A small crush that only grew as they became friends, the initial attraction evolving to something more as she got to know everything that made Minjoo the girl she loved – from her big goofy smile and playful gaze, to her sensitive soul that was so easy to reach, yet so precious. Chae wasn’t used to have her mad at her and it was making her a little restless, a discomfort on her chest, her hands itching for not being able to hug Min. 

Luckily for her, Sakura and Hyewon – their new roommate –, still hadn’t returned from winter break, what means she would have plenty of time to sweet talk her girlfriend. She hoped she wouldn’t need a lot of time though, she was running out of ideas and the next step was only cling onto Minjoo until she forgave her. 

After cleaning up and receiving the food, she placed everything on the kitchen counter and went to her room to change into some clean clothes – she managed to spill ketchup on her shirt, _great cook_ she was – before calling Minjoo to eat. 

It didn’t take more than a few minutes, but when she came back, she found a pretty brunette shamelessly stealing some of the food she had ordered, once in a while letting out a sound of approval as she tasted every dish. Chaewon smiled, relieved to see Minjoo so relaxed, maybe her anger had already subdued. 

** “How do you like it?” ** She asked after approaching the younger Kim with light steps – she would have risked a back-hug, but she might end up with a plate full of noodles on her face.

** “It looks and tastes great.” ** Minjoo replied, still not looking at her, focused on the food. Her voice sounded as light and sweet as always, what was a good sign. Her next sentence though, carried a hint of something else. **“Where did you get it from? There is nothing burned, so you can’t possibly have made it.”**

** “Ouch, couldn’t you even give me the benefit of the doubt?” ** Chaewon was partially joking only, after all no matter how hurt her ego was, she couldn’t deny that her cooking skills were far from good. At least Minjoo didn’t sound mad anymore, she was just teasing her like it was part of their usual bickering. **“I tried to cook something, but I don’t think it was very appropriate for a person…Or any living being, so I threw away and ordered something from the restaurant you like.”**

With a soft chuckle, the taller brunette turned to face her, resting her back against the counter as she stared at Chaewon who had a similar posture, against the cabinets – the kitchen was small and there was little space, still none of them made a move to close it. **“Your way of apologizing for ignoring me for three hours is just unpacking our clothes and bribing me with food?”**

** “Well, I haven’t finished unpacking just yet, as for the food…I thought someone who just had some delicious food might feel a little more forgiven.” ** Chaewon shrugged her shoulders, giving her a small smile. There was no point in pretending she wasn’t trying to fix things between them in her own way.

Minjoo rolled her eyes at her words, but a smile slowly made its way to her face. **“You know, I don’t mind you spending time with your friends, you guys are actually quite cute together.”** The admission came easily, after all who wouldn’t find those three adorable? At least until they started being noisy. Nonetheless, she couldn’t let go of it so easily. **“Just…Could you try to not forget about me next time? You know, three hours is a lot when you have to sit by yourself and your only company is the airline magazine because your girlfriend is two rows behind laughing like she is about to have an asthma attack.”**

The older Kim couldn’t help but laughed at Minjoo’s words, the expression on her girlfriend’s face said it was okay to come close now, and so she did, pulling her into a hug. **“I’m sorry. I will be more mindful next time.”** Hugging her by the waist with one arm, she brushed back her hair with her free hand, pressing a kiss on her jawline. **“I can’t promise I won’t get a little hyped and distracted because, you know, they’re my best friends. But I will try to include you more.”** Giving her an apologetic smile, she left another kiss on her face, a long peck on her check. Minjoo still wasn’t hugging her back, but with the right number of kisses, she would. **“I didn’t think you would mind staying by yourself for a little while…Okay, it wasn’t more than just a little while!”** The mistake was worth two more kisses before Minjoo could managed to protest, one on the other cheek and one close to her mouth. **“I swear I didn’t think so much time had passed. You know being with you is my favorite thing.”** She whispered the last few words closer to her lips and was bold enough to peck them this time, light and quick.

Sighing, Minjoo finally gave up the act, hugging Chaewon by the neck and bringing her even closer. **“Don’t try to sweet talk me, _Ssamu_. I might really hit you with a magazine if you do it again.”** The threat didn’t sound as dangerous since she kissed Chaewon softly right after saying those words, making the girl smile and nod lightly in agreement – Chaewon was a good girlfriend, not perfect, but definitely not the type that would forget about her girlfriend in a plane _twice_. **“What about your three just start doing like normal people and just invite them over every weekend so you won’t look like a bunch of puppies finding their lost sibling every time you meet on the street? It’s not like they live in the other side of the country.”**

** “Sorry, babe.” ** Chaewon repeated, knowing very well that Minjoo was the sweetest girl in the world, but even her had her moments of rage and Chae didn’t want to be the one facing the fury of her girlfriend – she would rather not have to deal with _icy_ _Minjoo_ again. Pulling back a bit, she stared at Minjoo’s pretty brown eyes. **_“_ And will you be fine with having the three of us here? We can get a little loud when playing video games. Yuri really loves karaoke too, and Yena loves cheering her up. And there is RPG, to be honest I’m the one that gets a little enthusiastic…” **

** “I can deal with it. Not so sure about Sakura and Hyewon, but I have this feeling that they will get along just fine.” ** Minjoo cut her off, giving her a confident smile. Dating Chaewon included accepting her friends and she was willing to do it, even if it meant a little less time for the two of them. **“What might not be so great for my mental health and my ears, but you look happy when you’re with them, so how could I say no?”**

Chaewon’s grin was the same childish one she showed earlier when she met her best friends, and having it directed to her now was enough for Minjoo to know she had made the right decision. **“You’re the best, my MinMin.”** The compliment came with a kiss – a proper one this time, therefore Minjoo just hugged her closer, enjoying the contact instead of calling her out for the cheesy line. Giving her girlfriend the cold shoulder may be necessary once in a while, but it was nowhere near as good as those moments they shared.

Finishing the kiss with a couple of pecks, she slowly broke the contact without letting go of Chaewon. **“Now we should eat. They will be here by six.”**

** “They? Hye and Kkura are coming back already?” ** The older brunette frowned slightly, confused.

Minjoo gave her a knowing smile, playing with her hair, taking her time to answer. **“I told you, you need to hang out with your friends more, so…I texted Yuri and invited them tonight since we have the whole place for us and no one will complain about the mess you guys make.”** She was proud of herself for having thought about it. Rather than sulking the whole night, she would rather join the weird trio in their antics – she wasn’t sure how well she would blend in, but she would try her best.

** “Minjoo! Really? They are coming?” ** There it was again, the dumb grin that made Chae look so much younger and more adorable than ever. Yes, definitely worth it **. “I really love you, you know that, right?”**

** “I told you, stop trying to sweet talk me and go eat! ** ” She clicked her tongue in disapproval, but couldn’t help but smile and give her another kiss before pushing her way, making her take a seat by the counter to eat – of course, not before uttering under breath. **“I love you too, dorky.”**   
  


That night, when the rest of _Joyuriz_ arrived and the scene from earlier happened all over again, Minjoo could only chuckle, shaking her head negatively. It was a long night, and she was lost in the conversation most of the time, but Chaewon tried her best to make sure she never felt left out and she found herself enjoying listening to Yena’s funny stories and Yuri’s angelic singing, moreover she loved seeing how happy and carefree Chaewon was around them. She probably wouldn’t ever understand completely the connection those three shared, but she was surely glad Yena and Yuri were part of Chaewon’s life, just like she was glad to be a part of it now too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello there, how is it going? It’s not being that long since ‘To Reach You’ and this was actually not supposed to be a full OS, just a short ramble about a little idea I had and some friends helped me think of a prompt (Mug and Guka, thank you!), so I’m sorry if it’s a mess. I’m working on a proper OS (not for this collection) for izone’s cb, so see you soon…Hopefully.
> 
> As usual, thanks for reading and I’m sorry about any mistakes. And of course, support the girls now that they are coming back from hiatus soon!


	8. Sweeter Than Soda

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Minjoo is not one to act on impulse, but there is always a first time for everything. Seeing a cute, flustered Chaewon was a great incentive. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello there. I was a little hesitating about this one, since it’s similar to another story in this collection, but the prompt was nice and I couldn’t help it, and well take it as a small gift since Iz*one is back! Good read!

** “Are you going to tell me or not?”  ** Minjoo insisted for what seemed like the ninth time that evening.

The brunette was sitting beside her friend at the backyard of Eunbi’s house, one of the few places that wasn’t crowded with drunkards at the moment – at least until someone finds a way to sneak in and then their peace would be over. When Kwon suggested a small get together, no one expected for the whole school to show up carrying all sort of alcoholic beverages, but now chaos was all over the place and the house owner was somewhere inside trying to kill someone for throwing up in one of her plants.

As for the duo of high school students, the party was just a little too wild and they agreed on hiding for now so they could talk instead. Chaewon was regretting this decision now, as Minjoo kept on pestering her with the weirdest questions.

** “Are you drunk?”  ** She asked, ignoring the question Min was so persistent about. Normally she didn’t mind Minjoo’s overly curious self, but this question in particular didn’t make her particularly happy.

The younger girl only shook her head in a negative, raising her nearly empty plastic cup for Chaewon to see. **“Eunbi would only let me drink Sprite.”**

** “Yeah, I know.” ** Making a face, Chae looked down at her own cup also filed with soda. She wasn’t big at drinking neither, but there was something very annoying about being treated like a child by her cousin who was only a couple of years older. She still could feel Minjoo’s persistent gaze on her and she knew that the younger wouldn’t leave her alone, no matter how hard she tried changing subjects. **“I’m not sure about how to explain. It’s weird and kind gross, I guess?”**

Min’s expressive face reacted right away, a mix of surprise and disappointment as she stared at the redheaded. When she asked Chaewon to help her to learn more about kissing – because she had seen an awful lot of kisses inside the house that night and her curious mind couldn’t help but wonder –, she wasn’t expecting such a terrible description, although she had to admit it made sense to an extent. **“Gross? Come on, Chae! I mean, I know some are a bit... _Ew_.”** She scrunched her nose in an expression of disgust, remembering one of the couples she had seen earlier and who were nearly eating each other’s face until Eunbi threw some water at them. **“I know it can be sweet and nice, when done right, that’s why I’m asking you to help me.”**

** “You know I don’t really have much to tell about it.” ** The older Kim sighed, before finishing her drink and putting it aside. Truth be told she wasn’t the best person to explain about it, she had kissed two people before and none of the events went as expected – one being a so-so date that ended with an equally unexciting goodnight kiss and no promises of a second one, and the other one when a guy tried to kiss her in New Year’s eve and she started the year by slapping the crap out of him. Needless to say, she didn’t have a good memory of neither. **“Do you want me to tell you what I think it should be like then?”**

** “You still know more than I do.” ** Minjoo said before nodding, with a grateful smile. Meanwhile Chaewon had her fair share of – bad – experience, Min was still to experience anything like that. One could say she was just too picky with dating, but she couldn’t bring herself to just go out with anyone, and the idea of kissing most of her admires made her shiver – it wasn’t like they were all bad, she just didn’t feel anything for them and the idea of a first kiss with no feeling at all to it was even worse than not kissing anyone...Of course, there were a few nice people, and maybe it was worth the shot, still she didn’t want to ruin the moment by rushing it. Therefore, she wanted to hear from someone she trusted and maybe it would help her to make a decision. **“Tell me about what I should do.”**

That talk was giving Chae a headache, for some reason she didn’t like seeing Minjoo so eager to learn about kisses, maybe because it probably meant she has her eyes on someone and Chaewon didn’t think there was anyone good enough for her around there – or anywhere, but that house full of drunk people was definitely not it. **“First of all, make sure they want it too. Ask before if you need, just don’t push it.”** She started, raising a finger to count down things. **“Second, be sure your breath doesn’t smell like death! No one wants it. Third...Hm, just go slowly? Sucking the soul out of someone doesn’t seem very nice...I guess that’s it.”** She shrugged her shoulders. This lesson was pretty useless, but that’s what Minjoo got for asking her such silly questions.

Minjoo listened attentively to everything she said, her lips forming a small pout of concentration as she nodded along. **“Okay, I guess I understood.”** She felt both, nervous and excited, as an idea started to form inside her head – probably due to the incredible high concentration of sugar in her brain after all that soda and the atmosphere of the calm night contrasting with all the noise coming from inside the house, and being alone with Chaewon in what seemed to be their secret place for now. **“Chae, would it be okay if I ever kissed you?”** The question was delivered quickly, although she managed to do it without blushing.

Chaewon was glad she finished her drink already, or she would have choked on it. **“W-Why are you asking such weird things today?!”** She complained, albeit the dark chocolate eyes didn’t stop staring at her, demanding an answer. Avoiding her eyes, she shrugged her shoulders once more. **“It would be...Okay, I guess.”** Probably a lot more than just _okay_ , but she would never be able to say so. Minjoo was so much better than any of the people Chaewon had kissed before, not only because she was her best friend and someone she actually cared about and loved, but she was also ridiculously good looking and there was no point in pretending Chae never noticed it. Having a crush on your best friend is such a cliché and she tried her best to not fall for it, especially when Minjoo was always so popular, yet here she was now, making weird questions that made her think about ever weirder stuff. **“Maybe we should go back inside...”**

** “My breath smells like soda.” ** Minjoo interrupted, there was a weird expression on her face as she was busy testing her breath by placing her palm in front of her face – something Chaewon missed due to the fact that she was still avoiding her gaze, pretending to stare at the grass and trying to keep the blush out of her cheeks. **“You like soda.”** Min continued, her weird words making the older finally look up, confused as to what she was talking about.

** “Minjoo what are you even saying?” ** Chae frowned, she was starting to think there was more than just Sprite on Minjoo’s drink by how weird she was acting – the smile she received in return made her think she was right.

Placing her soft hands on old Chaewon’s face to gently hold it, Minjoo kept her dark chocolate eyes on her face, taking in a deep breath to calm herself. It was a bad idea, probably a terrible one she would regret later, but today more than ever, she wanted to take this chance and try to be impulsive for once. A perfect first kiss would probably never happen, it didn’t for Chaewon, nor to any of her other friends, but she could try to have a good one by taking the risk now. **“You say it would be okay. I think it’s okay, too.”** She was probably not making much sense right now, but by the way Chaewon’s chestnut orbs looked at her with surprise and a little bit of something that could only be labelled as _gay panic_ , the girl understood what she meant.

Closing her eyes, she leaned in to give her a kiss. A simple meeting of soft lips that tasted like soda and was almost too quick for her to enjoy it properly. Yet, she felt good about it, she liked how their lips seem to fit so well, how sweet and warm it was, and how it was anything but _gross_. 

She opened her eyes to meet Chaewon’s confused ones, the girl keeping her mouth slightly agape in a rather funny way. From all things Chae expected that night, a kiss from her friend wasn’t one of them and she was still processing it.

Raising a hand to touch her own lips, Chaewon tried to determine how she felt about this moment. It was so different from her other kisses, a single peck that shouldn’t really make her feel much, but still felt so much nicer than all the rest. For some reason her heart was racing inside her chest, making it warm and light, and she wasn’t sure she wanted the feeling to go away. **“Why?”**

Min watched her with attention, ready to apologize if she noticed a bad reaction, but Chaewon just looked adorably confused and if anything, it only made her want to kiss her all over again. Caressing her face lightly, she gave her a smile. **“I thought about all people I could kiss and which ones I didn’t feel uncomfortable about the idea, and the ones I liked enough to try it...I could only think of you as both.”**

** “Oh…Okay.” ** Was all the older could answer, overwhelmed by this sudden confession. Minjoo was too much to her senses at the moment, from the warm gaze, to the gentle hands and the lips that were still so close to the point she would only need to lean in a bit to touch with hers...Min’s sweet voice just made it a little too much for Chaewon’s heart. Of course, Minjoo was just too good and pure to this world, her simple, yet good logics made more sense than Chaewon’s failed method of just ignoring her feelings and focusing on more ‘realistic’ possibilities. 

** “Okay?”  ** Now Minjoo was getting a little worried, no matter how adorable she looked, it wasn’t like Chaewon to just respond like this. Maybe she indeed overstepped the limits, maybe she should have been clearer before or waited for her to…

Luckily, Chaewon interrupted her very long, and completely wrong, train of thoughts.

** “I feel the same way about it…About you.”  ** Maybe it was about time for her to make some good memories involving kisses and stop ignoring her feelings for once. If Minjoo was bold enough to try, she should do the same. **“Can I kiss you back?”** The straightforward request, came as Chaewon finally came to her senses. 

Letting out a relieved, and a little embarrassed chuckle, the younger nodded. **“Of course!”**

And for once, Chaewon didn’t hesitate – and she was still a pretty adorable sight, as she gingerly hugged Minjoo to bring her in for a kiss, a small smile on her face as she finally did it. 

Again, it wasn’t a proper kiss, they both still a little unsure of how to do it, lips brushing and breaths becoming one as they tried to find the perfect fit. Minjoo’s hands slipped from her face to her neck, playing with the long, soft red hair, as a smile formed on her face every time Chae’s lips come to meet hers again. One, two...A dozen of times, every time a little longer than before, a little more intimate than the last one and a little more natural. Eventually they found the perfect sync, Chae’s embrace a little tighter as the kiss got deeper and suddenly breathing wasn’t a priority for neither of them.

If before her heart was beating a little too quickly, now it had found the right pace, just like her lips learned to kiss Minjoo just in the right way. Chaewon felt her body getting warmer regardless of night breeze, a giddy feeling on her inside that could only be called happiness. Kissing Min wasn’t something she expected, but she still loved it all the same. Chaewon regretted being so stubborn before in ignoring her feelings, she regretted not giving it a try earlier, but from now on she didn’t want to have any more regrets – that’s why she kissed Minjoo until her lungs begged for air, willing to ignore the existence of oxygen to put all her feeling into the contact.

It might not have been the perfect place, maybe not even the perfect time, but it was definitely with the perfect person and Minjoo had the dumbest grin on her face when they finally break the kiss to breathe. Resting her forehead on Chae’s, she refused to let go of the comfortable embrace. Not only she felt relieved and glad to have her first kiss and it being such a good one, it put a nice skip to her heartbeat, a pleasant feeling spreading through her chest in the sweetest warmth. She could also see the same emotions reflected on Chaewon’s pretty chestnut eyes, what made it all better. **“I told you it could be sweet and nice!”**

Chaewon let out a small chuckle, pecking Minjoo’s lips one more time – a memory that would surely remain in her mind for a very long time, and hopefully it would be just one of many. **“You were right about the nice part, but I’m pretty sure the sweetness is just due to all the soda Eunbi made us drink.”** As expected, her comment made the younger laugh and she kissed the smile out of her face, feeling like she could do it for the rest of the night. 

And maybe she could’ve, weren’t for a bunch of loud, annoying, drunk people who invaded the backyard to bring the party to this part of the house too – and a very angry Eunbi screaming at them as well.

Their kiss was cut short as they were forced to help Eunbi to handle all the unwanted guests, and later on they had help to clean up all the mess. But it was okay, they did it all together, exchanging smiles and occasional touches every once in a while. 

By the end of the night, when it was finally time to head home, they did it together as well, hand in hand as they walked through the almost empty streets and had to rush to make sure they arrived before Minjoo’s curfew – they were five minutes late, but it was okay because they spent ten more kissing in front of Minjoo’s house in the longest goodnight kiss ever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you read ‘till here, thank you! I know it’s not much, but I did it in my free time and I guess we could use some fics in this drought…Iz*One is back and hopefully this tag will be fully alive again! I can’t wait to see our girls, especially 2kim uwu
> 
> The prompt is by my friend Guka, thanks again for everything!
> 
> Sorry about any mistakes, see you next time!


	9. You & I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Life could be hard sometimes, but having someone who loves you makes it all a little easier.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a small piece I did really quickly because I didn’t want to miss my friend’s birthday. Anyway, thank you for the prompt and happy birthday again toyota_hiichan! 

**“You didn’t get the call.”** Chaewon said in a quiet voice, sitting down beside the girl who watched the empty dance studio with equally lifeless eyes – Minjoo wasn’t like this usually, but she had a good reason to put her cheerful person aside for now. That’s why she didn’t wait for a reply to hug the younger woman by the shoulders, bringing her to a gentle embrace that hopefully would help to comfort her, even if just a little.

Minjoo didn’t give the brunette a verbal reply, a long, tired sigh leaving her lips as she rested herself against Chaewon’s body. Her head found the perfect resting spot in Chae’s shoulder, making her close her eyes and take a deep breath – her nose picked the smell of cheap fried chicken first, the usual mint scent masked by it. Not the most pleasant smell, but she didn’t even try to move away, after all she probably smelt much worse at the moment – sweat and tears in the literal sense, the whole room smelt like it.

Enlacing her waist, she snuggled up to the girl, being welcomed by a tight embrace. The skin of the older Kim’s neck was slightly cold against Minjoo’s hot cheek, the beats of her heart loud enough for the girl to hear it beating in a much faster pace than her calm breaths – Chaewon wasn’t doing anything really, still, her presence was enough to push aside the dark thoughts on Minjoo’s mind for a while.

It was just another day, another rejection, another piece of her fragile confidence broken – and mend by Chaewon’s gentle hands that caressed her back and hair now, her silent actions that slowly involved Min in the warmth and protection of her love.

**“Do you think I will ever get a call?”** The question was asked minutes later, her voice low, muffled and hesitant – she knew, of course she knew, Chaewon couldn’t predict the future and her answer shouldn’t matter. But it was Chaewon, and she always mattered to her.

**“I know you will.”** It was an overly optimistic reply, something so atypical for the brunette, but her tone was so sincere, full of a confidence that came from years of watching Minjoo give her best training to reach her dream. Chaewon would rather to rely on more ‘realistic’ plans, using all her time studying for a public service exam, leaving her hopes of becoming an idol to focus on something else. For her, that dream was only it, a _dream_. But for Minjoo, it was the one thing she wanted the most and nothing could replace it – and maybe, for Chaewon, seeing the other girl achieving it, was as meaningful as reaching her own goals. **“Someday you will get so many calls, that you might even forget about me for a while. But that’s okay, as long as you remember to thank me after you get your first win.”**

There was a hint of mischief in her words, just the right amount of teasing to make Minjoo’s serious expression turn into a small smile, the tension leaving her face. Chaewon’s words had a huge effect over her – she was her biggest supporter, the only one to stay after even her parents would tell her to give up on silly dreams and try something else; they were probably right, still, she didn’t want to give up and Chae’s support was enough to keep her going.

Nodding slowly, Minjoo let her gaze travel from Chaewon to the mirrors located in the other side of the room – huge, intimidating, reflecting their small frames pressed together like puppies waiting for their mom to come back. This studio that used to be the place that brought her so much joy, had slowly become a prison, as if all her frustration was impregnated on the linoleum floor. She wondered if it would ever go back to what it used to be, or if she would end up leaving that place with the bitter taste of failure in her mouth.

Shaking her head, she tried to focus on the girl beside her, the one source of light in that dark night. She didn’t have to force a smile when her eyes met the bright chestnut ones that belonged to her favorite person – they were serious, but carrying; patient. **“I don’t think I can ever forget about you, but you should stick around just in case.”**

**“Just in case, huh?”** With a chuckle, Chaewon gave her a kiss on the cheek and patted her back lightly – she could see right past Minjoo’s tentative of humor, she could still see how hurt and tired the girl was. It would take her some time, but she would be alright, and Chaewon would make sure of it. **“Did you eat?”**

Minjoo shook her head again, this time with an apologetic smile that wasn’t necessary. She spent the whole evening practicing, trying to dance away all the negative feelings, but only managing to get drenched in sweater and her own frustrations.

**“Very unexpected.”** Rolling her eyes, the older girl reached for the paper bag she had brought with her, taking out two medium-sized containers with the logo of the restaurant she worked at. **“Go ahead and eat up, I already had some before coming here. And don’t tell me you don’t want to, I actually paid for those, so you better not waste it.”**

No matter how stubborn Minjoo could be, she couldn’t deny the offer – her stomach was being quite loud about its needs in the moment and after so many hours of practicing, her body demanded some payment for all the work. **“Thank you. I will pay you back next time!”**

No, she wouldn’t. They both knew it. She was barely making enough money to feed herself with the small paycheck from her part-time job. They both also knew Chaewon wouldn’t mind her words, bringing more food next time just like she always did.

**“Shut up and eat before I change my mind.”** Chaewon didn’t need to repeat herself, Minjoo attacking the food right away. Hiding a smile, the older girl averted her gaze from the woman to windows where the yellowish lights of the city illuminated the room.

Their house was a couple of blocks away from the college campus, a small, cramped apartment with a single room they shared for over a year now. It was full of her studying books and notes – notes she barely had time to read, getting lost under many more she would stack up later as she continued studying. It was funny how she could be so sure about Minjoo’s future success, yet she couldn’t imagine her own. She wondered what would happen if Minjoo was ever accepted in a good agency and had to move out, she wondered if she was ready to say her goodbyes as their lives took drastically different paths…She would have to be.

But for now, she would enjoy their time together – in cramped apartments, empty dance studios and wherever a couple of broken students could afford to go –, because no matter how difficult life was, when they were together it became a littler easier.

**“You know, today this old lady came in and started asking about the whole menu and it took her a whole hour to decide she didn’t like spicy chicken…”** Company, food and small talk, the best she could offer Min now. Chaewon also felt tired and had her own problems, but she was willing to put them aside, concentrating in putting a smile on Minjoo’s face and allow her to forget about her problems.

Like always, Minjoo would listen to her attentively, reacting to everything while chewing on her food, her mind slowly getting filled by Chaewon’s words, leaving no space for the previous thoughts and allowing a small smile to appear on her face.

As soon as she was done eating, they gathered her things and made sure the room was tidy and nice, before leaving.

It was getting late, but their place was close enough to walk there and they couldn’t afford spending money unnecessarily with a cab. Therefore, Minjoo just clung to Chaewon’s arm, keeping her closer as they made their way home. If it was any other day, the older woman would probably tease her for being a scaredy-cat, but not today, instead she held Minjoo’s hand and stuffed it on her jacket’s pocket.

**“Thank you.”** Min said as she matched her steps to the girlfriend’s, earning an eyebrow raise in return. **“You know for what.”**

Chaewon always knew it, just like she knew Minjoo like the back of her hand.

**“Yeah, next time bring your gloves.”** Shrugging her shoulders, Chae dismissed her words easily. They were past that stage, past the time where it didn’t feel natural to simply be there for the other when she needed. There was no place for ‘thank you’ when Min’s happiness was also part of hers, caring for her and protecting her was part of Chaewon’s nature now – it would always be.

The slightly taller woman just smiled at her girlfriend, squeezing her hand softly. Chaewon wasn’t good with words, but her actions speak much louder than any romantic line could ever.

She waited patiently until they reached the tiny apartment to hug the older woman tightly. Now that they were far from the studio, far from her failures, and inside the safety of their own little world, she could feel the burden over shoulders lighter. Tomorrow would be another long, exhausting day, but for now she was home and being there with Chae really made that place feel like it.

Chae’s lips curved into a soft smile, as she allowed herself to sink into Minjoo’s warmth as well, her arms bringing her even closer. It was a long, bad day for both of them, but this was a good way to finish it. **“Are you planning to sleep on my shoulder again, Minguri?”**

**“Hm, it sounds like a good idea.”** The reply came as Minjoo lifted her head just enough to peck Chaewon’s lips lightly, before going back to her favorite spot. Her voice was sweet and although the hint of tiredness was still there, Chae could tell she was feeling better now – it made her feel better as well.

Hugging Minjoo better, she slowly moved them towards the bedroom, dragging their feet through the carpet until they finally reached the bed and Min moved to lay down making Chaewon do the same – they still needed to change clothes and get ready to sleep, however, the two of them were too tired to worry about such details now.

**“So, are you okay now?”** Chaewon asked as she cuddled the younger girl, kissing her cheeks once more.

Min didn’t open her eyes to answer, her lips finding Chaewon’s jaw to leave a gentle kiss on it before replying: **“As long as you’re here, I will be.”**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, this was incredibly short, sorry about that. Anywya, I hope you enjoy it and I'm sorry about all the mistakes.
> 
> Remember to check toyota-chan fic's here, she is the greatest 2kim fluffy writer! Happy bday again, toyota-chan! See you all next time!


	10. Something Right

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Minjoo had to call off their date for not feeling well, she didn't expect to end up with her cute girlfriend playing nurse for her.

Softly, slender hands caressed her with gentleness, the warm palm against her stomach making the pain a little less unbearable. Letting out a small sigh, she opened her eyes to meet Chaewon’s chestnut ones, looking at her with fondness. **“Feeling better now?”** The doctor had asked, for what she nodded.

**“I’m sorry for ruining our date. Please remind me to keep a stock of medication for this time of the month.”** Minjoo tried to smile, although the pain on her stomach made it a little hard to keep the smile. They were supposed to go out to have a date, it was one of the rare nights they were both free from work, but instead they were stuck in her apartment after she was target of every woman’s most hated enemy – menstruation, and all the cramps that come with it. Minjoo was never the type to have a regular period and since she wasn’t on contraceptives in the moment, she was unlucky to receive this gift tonight.

Chaewon though, was pretty understanding about it – advantages of dating a woman who was also a doctor.

The said doctor, her girlfriend of a few months, had marched inside her house as soon as she heard about Minjoo's state and taken upon herself the task of getting the girl to feel better again.

Chaewon had gone out to get her some medicine for the cramps, as well as some chocolate and warm drinks, and she was now keeping her company while they waited for the effect to kick in. The older Kim had joined Min in bed, laying beside her and giving her best calming smile as she reached out to caress her stomach lightly, hoping to bring Minjoo some comfort. **“Don’t worry about it. Is not like I don’t understand the pain.”** Grimacing, she shook her head slowly. Minjoo was a little more distracted than her, but it wasn’t her fault that it happened – the lack of medicine at her house was a problem though. **“I bought 2 boxes, so it should last for a while. But you can always call me for help. I don’t practice on the living, but I will make of you an exception.”** Winking at her to make the girl laugh, she managed to get a tired smile.

Resting her hand over Chaewon’s, the young officer squeezed it lightly, in a silent thank you. They weren’t together for that long, yet she could feel an unique connection to Chaewon and every day her heart grew a little fonder of her, allowing her to go deeper and take a permanent part of it for her – maybe one day she would conquer it all, and right now, Minjoo wouldn’t mind it. **“I surely will, even if it’s not an emergency.”** Leaning in just a bit, she managed to touch Chae’s face with her lips, leaving a tender kiss. **“Thank you, Chae.”**

In return she received a mischievous smile, followed by a peck on her lips. **“Don’t thank me, I’m using you as an excuse to avoid Eunbi’s calls about taking an extra shift tonight.”** Chaewon’s playful tone carried a hint of true to it, however the hand still on Minjoo’s stomach in the lightest of the massages, made it clear her real reasons to stay.

Minjoo let out a small chuckle, awarding her with a kiss – it was a pleasure for both, even if only a short lived one since her cramps wouldn’t allow her to enjoy their usual make out sessions, at the moment even a long kiss was too much.

As if she could hear her thoughts, Chaewon sprinkled light kisses all over her face and jaw, quick and warm, ticking the sensitive skin as she reached her neck, taking Minjoo’s mind off of any pain to only focus on Chaewon’s lips. Hugging her by the neck, she combed her fingers through the soft, long brown hair, requesting for her attention back to her face so she could return the kisses – Chaewon was quick in answering to her sweet demand, sealing her lips with her own, just a little longer this time.

At the end of numerous pecks, Chae laid beside her and Minjoo changed their positions so she could hug her by the waist, using the girl as her personal human pillow – it was okay, Chaewon liked it too. The pain in her body was now a distant echo, thanks to both, Chaewon and the medicine, allowing Minjoo to relax again, happy to be free of the monthly torture and in the safety of Chaewon’s presence. So relaxed, that she could easily fall asleep – and she almost did, weren’t for her girlfriend's high pitched, yet soft, loving voice calling for her.

**“Minjoo.”** Chaewon had asked running a hand through her back, watching the younger girl through half lidded eyes. She waited patiently until the chocolate brown eyes fluttered open to give her a small, fond smile that matched her next words. **“I love you.”**

Minjoo was known for her big, expressive eyes and in the moment, they reflect all her surprise. She wasn’t expecting to hear those words, not now at least, and it brought both, happiness and a bit of fear – was Chaewon for real? Were them for real? **“Are you serious?”**

It was the older brunette’s turn to chuckle lightly, nodding. **“I love you, Kim Minguri. I’m not the type to go back on my word.”** Giving her a calm smile, Chaewon hugged her girl better, her hand finding the bare skin of Minjoo’s stomach again. **“So, are you feeling better now?”**

Blinking, the younger woman took a moment to digest the confession. It brought her a warm, fuzzy feeling, as if her chest was filled with the little droplets of a summer rain – light and heavy all at once, bringing to life a new world inside of her. With the silliest of the smiles, she hugged Chaewon tightly, ignoring her question to confess her feelings instead. **“I love you, I love you, I love you too!”**

Chaewon’s reply was a hearty chuckle that Minjoo quickly silenced with a kiss, this time one they didn’t plan on ending anytime soon.

Maybe it was a little too soon to say it, maybe she should’ve been more careful, but at that moment her words were absolutely true – and even so many years from that moment, they would still remain as the purest of the truths.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This scene is from an AU I decided to not continue, I just thought it was too cute to be deleted, so...I hope you guys enjoyed.
> 
> Happy birthday, Sev!


	11. Mirage

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> For Chaewon's birthday, all she wanted was to be with the person she loved the most.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fic named after Song Jieun's "Mirage", it's a very good song so check it out!

Those stolen moments were all that they had, nights in the back of her pickup truck, snuggling up in the pile of blankets she would lay down on the trunk, making them a comfy bed to stare at the stars above. It was still summer, the cool breeze of the night was only enough to give them a reason to cuddle, enjoying in each other’s scent and warmth. It was nice, sweet and comfortable – it felt like home, even though they were hiding at the limits of the city’s forest, where nobody could see, or judge them; maybe that’s why it felt like home.

It was her eighteen birthday, her coming of age, the moment that should mean she was leaving childhood behind and becoming an adult – she knew, of course, it didn’t work like this. She knew she would still need to attend school and graduate, she would still need to go back and work on her dad’s boring business and listen to all his nagging, she would still need to go back home and pretend to be something she was not. Being an adult wouldn’t magically change her life, she still had a long way to go to become independent and move out from that small town and all the prejudice and ignorance it had.

More than money and courage, she needed time. Enough time to take with her the one person she loved the most.

Sitting down, she watched as Minjoo climbed down the truck to get something from the cabin. Chae had a lazy smile on her face as she watched Min ever so clumsy self, carefully climb back up with a small box in hand – she was mindful enough to pretend to not have noticed it earlier when she picked the girl up in front of her house, a few streets away from hers. Minjoo couldn’t afford fancy gifts, but she wasn’t the type to ever skip a special day and Chaewon just knew she had put all her effort into creating something for today.

The simple sight of her girl – the girlfriend she could never call as such in front of other people, but who was always in her mind and heart – was enough to warm her soul, making her smile grow fond as she helped Minjoo to sit in front of her, after placing the box in the space in the middle.

Minjoo had her face bright under the moonlight, her dark brown hair moving with the wind and a childish glint in her eyes as she looked up from the box to Chaewon. **“I made it for you. It’s your favorite…At least, half of it.”** She explained with a shy smile, gesturing for Chaewon to open the box to reveal the small chocolate cake, light green frosting on top of it, imitating the choco-mint flavor Chaewon loved and Minjoo hated. **“I was planning on ordering one, but I didn’t have enough…”** _Money_ , they both knew it, Minjoo’s mom was going through another crisis and even with her working part-time at the diner was barely enough to pay the bills. **“Time, so I baked something instead. I don’t know how it tastes, but I tried my best.”** Finishing explaining, she leaned in to give Chaewon a soft peck on the lips. **“Happy birthday, Chae.”**

** “It looks great. I loved it, Min, thank you!”  ** Even if the taste was horrible, Chaewon would finish it whole, just because she knew every piece would contain Minjoo’s love and care and this was better than anything else. Kissing her back, she gave her an extra peck before shooting her a grin. **“Excuse me, but I will claim the first piece!”** Using the spoon Minjoo had brought, she dug into the cake without thinking twice, the sweet taste filling her mouth – as sweet as the baker, and if there was something wrong with the cake, she would never be able to tell. It tasted just right for her.

She had a formal dinner with her parents earlier, a cake baked from one of the local bakeries, yet nothing there, from the atmosphere to the food, felt nearly as good as eating that cake with a plastic spoon on the back of her truck – for the nth time, Chaewon thought she wouldn’t mind a simple life, if it meant to share it with Minjoo and to make of every day, a day like this.

Min’s musical laughter filled the air, both happy and relieved. Seeing the happiness in Chaewon’s face was priceless, it seemed to radiate from her, filling Minjoo with the same nice feeling – albeit when she tasted the cake, she thought it was a tad too wet and had too much frosting, but she just knew Chae wouldn’t mind it at all.

The younger Kim had had a long, hard day. Having to wake up early to tend to her baby sister and organize the house, making sure her mother was properly medicated and had breakfast before running to the daycare to drop Wonyoung off, then heading to school just in time to squeeze in through the gates. Few boring hours later, Minjoo left the place just to pick her sister up and bake the cake while simultaneously cooking dinner, all this before going to her part-time job serving tables – she needed extra money, so she stayed until late. Honestly, all she wanted to do was to sleep, but today was Chaewon’s birthday and she wouldn’t miss their date.

Seeing the way Chae was smiling now made her feel it was all worth it. Only for now, she could feel as if everything was truly fine, everything was in the right place – and fate had brought her and Chaewon together.

Reaching for the pocket of her jacket, she pulled out the small bag and slowly opened it to reveal its content. She noticed the surprise on Chaewon’s face as she took her left wrist to carefully tie the bracelet onto it – the thin piece made out of leather and decorated with a single pendant, a silver moon. **“I wanted to give you something you could keep with you.”** Minjoo said, before showing Chaewon her own bracelet, a similar one with a star instead of a moon. **“Like this we will always be together, no matter what.”**

Those words seemed silly, the kind of meaningless promise young lovers always make. But they both knew it wasn’t the case. For them, to be together was always a gift, a gift they had to keep hidden from the world. It always hurt a little to have to lie and pretend, to put a smile on her face and say Chaewon was just her good friend, to pretend she didn’t mind when others were around her or when someone would try and make a joke about how suspiciously close they were and she had to pretend to be offended about it – for Chae it was all the same, the same pain and the same feeling of frustration and hopelessness.

Chaewon felt her chest tight as she heard Min’s soft voice with a hint of emotion, knowing well what she meant. She wished their moments together could last forever, but in reality, it was just a few hours that could cost them so much if they were ever found. For now, the promise of forever, was only it and there was nothing she could do about it.

The bracelet wouldn’t mean much for the others, but for them it would be a symbol of their love – a secret, rare and precious love that was only for the two of them to share.

Chaewon gently grabbed Minjoo’s wrist, bringing it closer to her to leave a soft kiss on the skin now decorated with the little star of the bracelet – the one that complemented the moon adorning her own wrist, the one that symbolized things far greater than the cheap platinum it was made out of. The star symbolized everything Minjoo was in her life – the bright, timeless presence that she could always count on, the beauty and mystery she would never get tired of admiring, the source of hope and the purest adoration. **“I love you, Min. You are the greatest gift I could’ve asked for and I don’t even care if it sounds cheesy, because it’s true.”** She said in a quiet voice that carried all her honesty, her eyes fixed on Min’s, watching the stars on them as Minjoo looked back at her with the warm chocolate orbs filled with fondness.

If Minjoo was a star in Chae’s life, Chaewon was definitely like the moon for Minjoo. The quiet, yet powerful energy that pulled her in, the reliable light in the dark that guided her safely home, the charming silver shine that could embrace her so fully just like Chaewon’s chestnut eyes did now, bewitching her forever. Chaewon like the moon would always be there for her, delighting her senses with the silent love she poured on her with every small action and gesture, even when no one else could notice it, Minjoo still could feel it – now, she was sure she wouldn’t ever stop feeling like this.

Reaching to cup the older girl’s face in between her hands, she smiled at her, feeling her chest warm and heavy with so much affection – if once this feeling had made it hard to breathe, a mix of fear and anxiety making it hard to put a label on it, now it was a very welcomed blessing. People might not think the same, they might never be able to show it outside these short, yet so precious moments. Still, she would celebrate this moment and not hold anything inside. **“Thanks for being born, my precious Chaewon, who made my life so much brighter and happier ever since I met you.”** The emotion in her voice was stronger now, her eyes shining with tears that were born from happiness, more than ever looking like the stars Chaewon loved. **“I love you, today and for all the other days to come.”**

Placing her hands on top of hers, Chae took in every detail from her face, loving every single trait that made this, the one face she would never forget – Minjoo was beautiful, but even prettier in her eyes, so incredibly perfect in the fond memories of her heart, someone she would always cherish. Smiling, she kissed Minjoo slowly, hugging her closer as if she was the most precious of the things – and she was, for her. 

Maybe not today, but someday, those stolen moments would also be just a memory. Someday, they would have the forever they deserved, not stolen, not given, bur earned by all the effort they put into stay together through it all. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I did this little thing instead of sleeping yesterday xD This scene is part of the universe of a fic idk if I will ever actually write, but I thought it would be nice for a short OS since it’s Chae’s bday.
> 
> Thanks for reading and happy birthday to Chaewon!


	12. Love High

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Being all sweet in public should be embarrassing, but Chaewon didn’t mind it if it meant making her girlfriend smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story is part of the “Closer To You“ universe, but you don’t have to read that story to enjoy this one because this is just fluff really.

There are two things everyone knows about Minjoo and Chaewon: the first one is clumsy and the latter is a _tsundere_ – well, at least that’s what people say at first, and they are mainly correct.

Mainly.

While Minjoo was, indeed, pretty clumsy, Chaewon wasn’t that much of a _tsundere_ after you have known her for a while. Her close friends knew it all too well, however, for someone who had only seen her sharp features from afar, what was happening right now may be a little shocking. 

No, scratch that. It would be a little shocking even for her friends – and Yujin and Yena would probably laugh a little too much about it, but luckily for the cheetah-like girl, none of them was around now.

What was happening? nothing less than a sweet and pretty normal scene for a young couple like the Kim duo. Slightly embarrassing and attracting some puzzled looks from the passerby, but sweet regardless.

** “Is it good enough?” ** Chaewon asked, her tongue touching the corner of her lips as she stared intently at her newly finished art – well, calling it art maybe be a stretch, but it was the best she could do with a pink pen and her mint-green marker. 

Minjoo nodded with a smile as bright as Chaewon’s mint colored marker, leaning in to try and have a better look at the artwork her girlfriend did with so much effort – and very little talent – on the cast covering her foot. There was a pink heart, slightly bigger in one of the sides, with a green arrow going through it and in the empty space inside their initials could be seen in Chae’s usual handwrite. There were also a few other smaller hearts in different shades of green and pink, a couple of stars and a little round figure that Minjoo supposes should represent her penguin friend back at the aquarium, MinMin. **“It looks great, Chae! Thank you!”** It didn’t look that great, but Minjoo was the type to appreciate effort over anything else – and Chae was also willing to put up an effort for her, even in things she clearly had no talent for. **“Can you make another one? I promise, it’s the last one!”** The request came with a small pout and a soft touch on Chaewon’s hand, the bright chocolate eyes pleading.

The older girl could only sigh in reply. Of course, she would do it, saying no to Kim Minjoo was never something she was good at – and now it was ever harder.

** “What do you want this time?”  ** The older Kim said, her eyes going from her cute girlfriend to the white cast covering her left ankle. Minjoo had hurt herself when they were playing capture the flag the other day – a little childish for high schoolers, but it was really hard to deny Yujin’s requests. Luckily, it wasn’t anything serious, but it meant Minjoo wouldn’t be able to participate in PE class or after-school athletic activities for a while. So, when she had the chance, Chaewon liked to keep her company. **“My marker is dead and I think this is pink enough, so I will have to use a normal pen.”** Actually, Chaewon wasn’t supposed to be using her free time after classes to entertain the younger girl while they waited for their friends to finish their club meetings and give Minjoo a ride home. As a senior and part of the school council, she should be tending to other matters how she usually did. But when it comes to Minjoo, Chae’s priorities were clear. 

** “Hm, wait a minute.” ** Minjoo reached for her backpack she casually left aside, the teacher said she could do some studying while watching the others exercise earlier – and she had tried to, with little success, but her class was long over. She wasn’t planning on doing anything under the pleasant evening sunlight other than making her cast a little prettier and watching Chaewon’s concentrated expression as she worked hard on drawing. It was simple and a little silly, but like with all things she did with Chaewon, she loved it. 

It was their last year together – at least in high school, since Chae would be graduating in a couple of months. Therefore, she wanted to enjoy these little moments they had, especially when her girlfriend left aside her serious student council treasurer’s façade and showed the more relaxed, doting side she would only reveal when they were alone. 

Getting a black pen from her bag, she handed it to Chaewon with a smile. **“A cheetah, please? A cub.”** She looked at the slightly older girl with expectation, watching as Chae’s expression went from confused to surprised as she heard her request – and the reason behind it. Chaewon’s resemblance to a baby cheetah was no secret, and more than once Minjoo would find herself marveling at her girlfriend’s serious expression that was so intimidating to others, but incredibly cute to her as it emphasized the resemblance with the big feline. **“Please, Chae?”**

Making a face, the senior accepted the pen. She could barely draw a decent heart, the more an animal – especially one that was supposed to somewhat symbolize herself. She could almost hear their friends’ laughter at the sight. She was used to the group teasing them about being _diabetically_ _sweet_ and all that, adding yet another thing for their list of things to make fun of the couple didn’t seem like a good idea. Not even mentioning everyone who would see it – the people who already had thrown them a few curious looks, finding the oddly relaxed posture of the older Kim rather intriguing.

But then again, Chaewon always had her priorities very clear when it comes to Minjoo – it was simply and purely to keep her girl happy, anything else didn’t really matter. **“Okay, I might as well add a little frog, in your homage.”** She agreed with a hint of teasing in her voice, fixing Minjoo’s leg on her lap to search for an empty spot on the cast and start sketching at the best of her abilities. As expected, Minjoo protested her choice of an animal – apparently Minjoo liked foxes better than frogs when it comes to which one she looks alike, and of course, everyone else collectively agreed on her looking like the frog as it always got a way funnier reaction. Chaewon wouldn’t say it aloud, but for her, the younger Kim was a little bit like both animals, depending on her expression. 

“ **Chae, come on! You already draw MinMin!”** The younger brunette protested, a hand coming to poke Chaewon’s face.

** “MinMin doesn’t look like you, it just loves to follow you when you visit the aquarium.”  ** The older girl didn’t even bother looking at her, a sly smile on her face as she started drawing. **“I have to represent you properly.”**

Making a face, Minjoo tried another approach. Instead of poking Chae’s fluff cheek, she caressed her hair that was tied in a loose ponytail and reached the neck, knowing it was one of Chaewon’s weak spots. **“Can’t it be a fox?”**

** “Hm,” ** Chae breathed in, enjoying Minjoo’s gentle touch and almost getting distracted from her very important task of finishing the tail of the cheetah cub and moving to start the frog she had promised. **“No. But I will make it a cute frog!”** Glancing at the girl, she winked at her before getting back to her work. 

If it was anyone else, she might have ended up with a head smack, but Min was just too good natured to properly take revenge and all she did was stop the caress on Chaewon’s neck and pouted. Chae only chuckled softly as her girlfriend sulked, knowing well it wouldn’t last. 

Chae liked seeing Minjoo’s puffed cheeks and her lips forming a cute pout once in a while, they had a comfortable dynamic within their relationship, the banter and bickering was part of it. Chaewon, of course, knew the limits well and she always made sure to kiss away Minjoo’s pout until it was replaced by a smile – today she was hoping to bring this smile with her clumsy drawing though.

** “Done.” ** She said more to herself than to the girl, straightening her back to get a better look at the little doodle, smiling to herself at the result – it wasn’t amazing, after all she never claimed to be a good artist, but it was better than the her other artworks and hopefully cute enough to make Minjoo happy; in case it wasn’t, Chaewon could always use her corrective pen and pretend it never existed. **“Min, take a look.”** Calling the girl who was still sulking and pretending to not be interested in Chaewon’s self-proclaimed masterpiece, it took her a gentle pull on Minjoo’s hand to get her attention. **“Babe, I think I deserve some trust for ditching student council work for you.”**

Chaewon’s words got to Minjoo and the brunette finally looked back at her, brown orbs going from Chae’s chestnut gaze to the cast as she inspected it for a new mark – it wasn’t hard to notice, right below the heart with their names now there was a small drawing of two animals, a cheetah sitting back on her paws and a smiley frog resting comfortably on its head. Chae wasn’t skilled enough to give it much detail, but the cheetah had calm eyes and a small smile that ended with a soft curve – Chaewon’s trademark crooked smile –, while the frog had big eyes with little hearts as pupils and a small crown on top of its head. 

Minjoo couldn’t help but giggle at the sight. It wasn’t really pretty, but it would be a lie to say she didn’t find it cute. Her heart grew a little fonder as she noticed how the two animals were surrounded by the little hearts and stars, just like the two of them were in the nights they spent together stargazing. **“You really made me a frog.”** It wasn’t really a complaint, there was a smile on her face – very similar to the one her frog version showed in the drawing –, her left hand reaching to touch the drawing with light fingers, while her right one squeezed Chaewon’s. 

** “A _princess_ frog, a very important difference.”  ** Chaewoncorrected, squeezing her hand back and pulling her closer so she could hug Minjoo by the shoulders. **“You know, just like some people only see cheetahs as intimidating, some people just don’t know how to appreciate frogs. I personally think they can be really cute.”** She placed a kiss on Minjoo’s cheek, her lips lingering a little longer than necessary on the spot. **“Even cuter once they receive a kiss and turn into a beautiful princess.”**

Having to bite back a smile, Minjoo rolled her eyes at Chaewon’s words. **“I miss the time when _you_ were cute and shy.”** Clicking her tongue, she shook her head slightly. No, she didn’t really miss the shy Chaewon from before they were a couple, although she was indeed very cute back then. This bold, sweet and a little cheesy Chaewon was a pretty great girlfriend. **“Was all that frog thing just to get some kisses?”**

Her only reply was Chaewon’s spontaneous and surprised chuckle. **“I’m afraid I’m not that smart with pick-up lines just yet.”** Shaking her head to emphasize her words, she once more stole a kiss on Min’s cheek. “ **Although I would always come to save you from any curse, especially ones involving kisses.”** Chae joked, pulling back slightly so she could face Minjoo properly. **“You know I just wanted to keep you company, right?”**

“ **You’re Yena’s sister, I think it may run in the blood.”** Minjoo joked back, her smile growing as Chae kissed her cheeks. Truth be told, she wouldn’t mind some silly pick-up lines to steal some of her kisses, if they came from her beloved girlfriend. Cupping Chaewon’s small face in between her hands she nodded, of course she knew Chaewon was there for her like she always was when Minjoo needed. Chae may be joking about fantastical curses, but Min knew her words carried some truth to them. People show love in many ways, some through things, others through words and people like Chaewon showed through their actions, small yet meaningful ones. Like staying after class to doodle on her girlfriend’s cast and make her laugh instead of having to endure an hour alone because she couldn’t move around properly. **“I do. I would be bored to death without you.”** With a small giggle, she used her hands to bring Chaewon’s face closer. **“Thank you for staying with me and for the drawings. I will show them off well!”** Pecking her lips before Chae could protest, she gave her a grin. **“And for that you deserve some kisses…Would be more if you didn’t call me a frog though!”**

** “I am sorry, but I think you meant a _royal_ frog?” ** It was Chaewon’s turn to hold in a laugh, the corners of her eyes crinkling as she hugged Minjoo better – with some extra care to make sure she wouldn’t accidentally hit her cast by mistake –, pulling her in for another kiss before Minjoo could change her mind. Chaewon kissed her lips softly, before covering her face with quick pecks and finally kissing her on the lips again for one too many times. The kisses were, as expected from two laughing fools, short and a light, permeated with soft chuckles and silly smiles, but nice and warm. Minjoo hugged her by the neck, feeling her heart as light as ever.

** “I swear, we have so many couples in our friends group, but you two are by far the most disgusting one!” ** It was Yuri’s greeting, ten minutes later, when Chaewon and Minjoo were still too engrossed with each other to notice her arrival accompanied by Nako and Hitomi. Yuri was a little grumpier ever since Yena went to college and she became the official third-wheeler for the others.

Nako only laughed at her remark, enjoying the surprised face of the Kim couple as they realized they were no longer alone and the school bleachers were no place for making out. Hitomi, however, gave them a confused look before pointing to Minjoo’s leg – the one still on Chaewon’s lap, exposing all the embarrassing drawings on the cast. **“Did you let some little kids draw on it? Good thing you won’t use it for a long time.”**

** “Ei, my drawings are not that bad!”  ** Of course, it was Chaewon defending her work, and of course, it only served to make her the target of teasing this time. 

** “Not so bad?” ** Yuri returned, a bluffed look on her face. **“I thought someone had vandalized her cast as a revenge!”**

Minjoo only laughed at her girlfriend being teased by the others, clinging to Chaewon’s arm. **“I think they are pretty cute.”** Were her supportive words, as she kissed Chae’s cheek with a proud smile.

Nako, who was keeping quiet until now, smirked at the scene in front of her, shaking her head. **“I guess love really makes you blind.”**

Yes, Chaewon’s drawing were that bad. But it was okay, Minjoo still loved it – and her girlfriend – wholehearted. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello there, just something I did when I was bored. My friends, aka the Slytherin line, said it was okay, but in case it was not…I guess I have nice friends XD
> 
> Thanks for reading, see you soon with TYE’s update.
> 
> P.S.: Prompt from the prompt generator! 


	13. Of Missed Confessions and Flirting Attempts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chaewon is just not that great at reading the signals.

There was something about Friday nights – for most it was the fact that they could finally take some rest and not worry about work or school for a while; for Chaewon it was a bit different. It was all about cuddling and watching movies together with her favorite junior now.

Minjoo was pretty insistent about making it a tradition and who was she to say no to such lovely brown eyes? Although she was wondering if she had made the right call at the moment.

No, the movie wasn’t so bad – she could barely pay it any attention anyway. The weather was definitely cold enough to justify some cuddles as well. Minjoo’s room was nice and cozy, small but well organized with plenty of pillows and just enough light to make it welcoming, and it smelt like…Was it a scented candle by the window? Who has strawberry scented candles for a movie night? Minjoo was surely so attentive.

Maybe _too_ attentive.

Right now, Chaewon was curling her toes and keeping her eyes on the white ceiling, breathing in and out as she tried to make sure her face wasn’t burning hot like her ears were. You see, Minjoo was _so_ attentive that ever since Chae arrived all the younger girl did was to keep her eyes – and hands – on her, what was a bit too much for the older Kim to handle.

Plump lips lingered on the skin of her cheek for a bit too long, long arms hugging her waist and pulling her closer, legs enlacing hers…Chaewon almost fainted when she felt Minjoo’s hot breath on her neck as the girl snuggled up to her, nuzzling into it as if was her own home. **“Chae, you smell so nice! Just like a baby.”** As to emphasize her words, she nuzzled again her face on Chaewon’s neck, hot breath now making a pleasant shiver run down Chaewon’s body.

Just why Minjoo had to be so affectionate?

Gulping down, she tried to compose herself before answering in her best nonchalant tone. **“It’s baby powder. My mom sent me some soap, saying all my old clothes smell like mint and it was like cheap detergent.”** Chaewon didn’t exactly agree about this mint slander, but she had to admit the smell of baby powder was rather nice and it made her skin extra soft.

Minjoo nodded slowly, still resting her face on the crook of her neck, and Chaewon felt another shiver as felt lips _there_ this time. **“I liked mint, but your skin feels really nice like this too.”** Ofcourse, the kiss was to justify her words.

 _Of course_ , it made complete sense. Minjoo wasn’t only affectionate but also very observant.

 **“Thanks.”** Was all Chaewon managed to reply, conflicted between just enjoying this very odd yet pleasant moment, and just finding an excuse to run away before gay panic took over her.

 **“Chae,”** Minjoo called, finally lifting her head so she could see Chaewon’s embarrassed red face. Her eyes were dark and alluring as she searched for Chaewon’s gaze, hands still hugging her as she asked with a tone that wasn’t like anything Chaewon was used to hear. **“Don’t you think I smell nice too? I bought a new body lotion. Do you want to check it?”**

Chaewon gulped down again as the other girl offered her neck for her to smell. She awkwardly moved to do as asked, blood filling her face as she tried to control a nervous smile and just do it quickly – she did, her senses being hit strongly by the sensorial overdose that was Minjoo being so close to her. The sun kissed skin was as smooth as it gets and it smelt like something between vanilla and paradise, making it hard for her to not take revenge on Minjoo and also present her with some kisses – and suddenly she knew how vampires felt, bloodthirsty aside.

Thanks gods for the loud ass ending song that played in the movie, ruining the moment before she could do anything she would regret later. As if it was her clue, Chaewon hurriedly separated from Minjoo and jumped off the bed with very little grace. **“Oh my god! Look at the hour! The food we ordered should be here by now, I will just...Just yeah.”**

Taking this chance, she left the room under Minjoo’s confused stare, hiding in the kitchen instead.

She was a coward, of course she was. But who wouldn’t be with Kim Minjoo being so adamant when they were just friends? Chaewon could handle some innocent _skinship_ but it was a little too much, especially when Minjoo seemed so clueless about what it may look like. Maybe she should talk to her about personal space sometime, clearly the younger Kim needed a lesson or two on it.

Sighing, she heard the bedroom’s door open to reveal a disappointed Minjoo. **“Chaewonie? Won’t you come back? The bed is cold without you.”**

Chaewon had to blink twice, trying to remind her brain that Minjoo didn’t mean it like _that_. Not at all. Minjoo was a bit too affectionate with her friends and Chaewon just happened to be her favorite pal.

Yes, definitely. No need to delude herself with useless thoughts.

 **“I will just call the pizza place first.”** She fished the phone out of her pocket to make it believable.

But Minjoo didn’t seem any less disappointed as she pouted her lips and nodded. **“Just don’t take too long.”**

One would think Chaewon was mistreating her girlfriend – only that Minjoo was not her girlfriend, and would never be. Actually, she would never date anyone who wasn’t a dude – Chae was far from being a dude, albeit she probably resembles the guy Minjoo was flirting with the other day, only it could explain why the girl was using her to train her methods of flirting.

A grim made her expression dark as she huffed to herself.

Why are hetero girls so weird?

* * *

Chaewon was supposed to be studying for her calculus test – and she really could use some studying considering her terrible grades –, but instead she was sitting at the library with her eyebrows furrowed and a lips forming a concentrate pout as she watched Minjoo talking to some guy a few rows ahead. She wasn’t jealous, just…just _very_ annoyed.

The guy leaned in to whisper something to Minjoo and the girl laughed. Chaewon’s hand grip on the pen grew a little stronger, maybe imagining it was the guy’s neck – just maybe _, of course_ she wouldn’t have such violent thoughts.

Again, she was just very annoyed. People aren’t supposed to flirt in the library. Especially people who were acting so damn clingy with her yesterday.

Huffing to herself, she let go of the pen before she accidentally broke it and let her head rest on her crossed arms on top of the table. Minjoo and her odd behavior was giving her a headache.

Yesterday she made Chaewon stay until it was almost too late to go back to her own dorm, and if she didn’t know any better, she would’ve thought that Minjoo was not so subtly asking her to stay the night. _‘Come on Chae, don’t you want to, you know, watch some Netflix and…maybe we could chill a bit?’_ The girl had asked, in what sounded like a very reductant thing since as far as Chaewon knows all they did that night was indeed watching TV and relaxing – so she just said her goodnight and went home.

But then this morning Minjoo was at her door with some of their favorite drinks and good morning hugs – is that even a thing? – too excited to tell Chaewon about a weird dream she had had about a _hot_ _female_ ghost and how Minjoo had called for her help there…She wasn’t sure why the girl seemed so happy about it either.

Minjoo had dragged them all the way there under the excuse that they needed to study – they did, but clearly no studying was getting done today. First, they actually tried, but Chaewon was still a little sleepy and Minjoo got bored quickly, bothering her with random questions for a while – why did she ask them to measure hands out of the blue? Chaewon was pretty sure this was like their third time doing it and she wasn’t pleased her hands didn’t grow any bigger meanwhile.

Min had eventually wandered off to get some books, but clearly got a detour to flirt with guys – and it was so damn annoying.

The older Kim wasn’t exactly hyped with being used as a testing subject and then dragged here in the early morning just to watch this event sitting in the front row. She wondered how accurate her aim would be if she were to _accidentally_ throw a book at them.

As if she could hear her thoughts, Minjoo turned around with the brightest of the smiles, eyes crinkling at the corners as she locked eyes with Chaewon. Apparently things were going her way with the guy to explain this sudden happiness.

Chaewon looked away with an annoyed huff, trying to ignore the girl – only to feel soft, warm hands, massing her back and she didn’t even need to hear the voice to know it was Minjoo, back from her flirting time.

Chaewon sat straight, shrugging Minjoo off with the natural glare her eyes seemed to produce without her noticing it – Min was immune to it by now, but it might have scared away one or two clueless students nearby.

 **“Hey, sleepyhead!”** The younger Kim greeted with a grin, her eyes sparkling as she sat by Chaewon’s side. **“I was talking to-”**

Chaewon raised a hand to stop her from continuing. **“I don’t care, go back to studying.”**

 **“But you would like to know.”** Minjoo huffed, sulking as she noticed Chaewon’s gaze was back to her text book. **“You are so moody in the mornings.”** She complained, lowering her voice to add. **“Wouldn’t be if we had _chilled_ at my place.”**

 **“What?”** Furrowing her brows even further – she would get wrinkles at this point – Chae nudged her shoulder. **“Study. We came all the way here because you said you _needed_ to study.”**

With a sigh, the younger nodded. **“Not exactly what I had in mind, _again_ , but okay.”** Giving up, she lifted a hand to touch Chaewon’s forehead, smoothing the wrinkles on it and undoing her frown. **“Just because I love you.”**

Chae tensed up before nodding stiffly, refraining from sighing. **“You can love me while learning about contemporary languages.”**

It would be a long – and very boring – day at the library as Chaewon tried to focus on studying while Minjoo, very persistently, tried to get her attention instead of focusing on her own books. Well, at least that dude didn’t show up again and eventually Chaewon managed to boil down her anger enough to give up watching out for him in the hopes of hitting the guy with the heaviest book she could get.

* * *

* * *

Exams week passed like a breeze – a wind of terror and an ocean of tears if you didn’t study, but thanks to Minjoo’s insistence they had pretty much camped at the library. Not that it had any effect over the younger girl’s grades, that looked less than stellar while Chaewon’s reflected her anger induced studying mood.

Needless to say, Chaewon’s anger came back when she noticed Minjoo’s grades – of course, the younger had been too busy thinking about that small-headed idiot to study properly.

 **“You should focus on your grades. Crushes come and go.”** She nagged as they sat by the trees that covered the green plains of the college’s campus – students official napping, eating and even making-out, spot.

Minjoo crossed her arms, puffing her cheeks in clear, and slightly childish, annoyance. “ **Well, maybe I could have got better grades if my crush wasn’t as dense as a rock and made me spend so much energy trying to get noticed.”** She replied with a hint of a bitterness that was unusual to her melodic voice. **“You know, I don’t mind being rejected but this is…”** With a deep sigh, she rested her back against the tree and kept her silence.

Chaewon made a face, she had to agree that Minjoo’s crush was indeed an idiot. Maybe even an asshole. Perhaps she should really have thrown that huge math book at him when she had the chance.

 **“Why would you crush on someone like that to begin with? Dense people are the worst!”** She also happened to find him short, bad looking, annoying and another 81948 things she wouldn’t bother mentioning to not hurt Minjoo’s soft heart.

Minjoo sighed again – only the gods knew how hard she had to try to not scream her head out at the very cute, yet incredible clueless creature in front of her **. “Yes, dense people really are the worst.”** And sometimes the younger Kim even wondered why she insisted so much on someone who seemed to be completely blind to her feelings – but it was just looking inside the sharp chestnut eyes that looked at her with such protection and care, that she was reminded that she had some great reasons to not give up. **“But still, dense is not everything they are. They are kind, gentle, so considerate and charming and, even if in their own weird way, very smart…”** Giving her a small smile, she looked down before completing **. “They are also pretty good looking, with cute eyes and nose. Just like a baby cheetah you know?”**

Chaewon had to use all her inner strength to not frown too much and show how displeased she was with such a sappy description of that annoying guy…Wait, baby cheetah? She was pretty sure that weirdo didn’t look like a cute cheetah cub, actually _she_ was the one that was often called like that.

 **“Wait, but Hyunjin doesn’t match the description!”** She argued before she could help it.

 **“No, he does not.”** This time Minjoo couldn’t help but sigh. How dense Chaewon could even be? **“A ‘ _he’_ will never fit my type. Why would you think that?” **Now she was a little angry, one thing was to be overlooked by her clueless crush, another was Chaewon thinking she was crushing on that skinny _rat_ that kept hitting on her the whole semester.

Standing up, she gathered her stuff while a baffled Chae watched her, giving the older girl a piercing look. **“And for your info, I don’t think he is cute at all! I said baby cheetah, you dumb cub!”**

Minjoo stormed out, leaving the place before Chaewon could utter a single word. The older Kim’s sharp, feline eyes, big and round as she blinked in confusion, her mouth agape – a very confused baby cheetah was later found by her upperclassmen friends at the lawn.

* * *

Hyewon looked at her as if she was the dumbest creature to ever walk on Earth – what was pretty offensive, but not as much as having _Yena_ looking at her like that as well. Her friends had been _facepalming_ her for a while now, ever since the two of them arrived and Chaewon hurriedly told them about the weird conversation she had with Minjoo earlier.

Apparently, everyone seemed to be aware of the _situation_ – except her.

Maybe she was the dumbest person on campus.

 **“So, you are saying that Minjoo is not into guys? At all?”** She finally said, her lips protruding as she furrowed her eyebrows, dark chestnut eyes filled with seriousness as she tried to understand everything properly – Hyewon sighed, rolling her eyes, as Yena hit the back of Chae’s head.

 **“For gods’ sake, KimChae! There is only one baby cheetah and you are still doubting?”** Yena said with a nagging tone, very untypical of her – even the duck loses her patience sometimes. Actually, everyone had lost their patience around six months ago when Minjoo asked Chaewon on a date and the girl proceeded to ask everyone else to tag along.

 **“Just think. I am pretty sure even _you_ would have noticed the signals, at least some of them.” ** Hyewon encouraged, and Chaewon pretended to not notice the little jab she received.

Of course, she was dense, but not _so_ much.

Ever since they met, she recalled Minjoo smiling at her a little too much, red cheeks and cute dimples that were hard to miss – but she had thought Minjoo was just a very warm and gentle person. She could also recall the constant _skinship_ that started with little playful slaps on her arm and gentle touches on her hair whenever Minjoo was kind enough to fix it for her – she did find it a bit odd that Minjoo always seemed to be so worried about helping her to remain presentable, but it wasn’t like she didn’t appreciate the gesture. After a while, as they grew closer, she just dismissed it as part of Minjoo’s overly affectionate personality. Of course, there were still the weird sentences and how Min always asked her to hang out at her house alone but that…

Sighing, she _facepalmed_ herself. Chaewon was right when she said that dense people are the worst – she surely felt like it now. **“I screw it up, didn’t I?”**

 **“Yeah, sort of…Like totally.”** Yena was the first to speak.

 **“It was funny in the first few months, but it’s just tragic now.”** Hyewon said with her usual blank expression, as if she had been waiting to say it for a while.

Chaewon sighed again. Her friends didn’t even hesitate before roasting her and maybe she deserved it.

 **“If you want to be with her, you shouldn’t waste even more time. And even if you don’t, you should at least give her a proper reply.”** Hyewon dusted off her hands, finishing her bag of chips before adding. “ **So, what do you want?”**

 **“Minjoo.”** The answer came easily, after all it was a no-brainer. She may be a little dense about others feelings, but hers were pretty clear from the start and the very own reason why staying beside Minjoo in that weird friendship was driving her crazy. Being friends was never what she wanted.

Yena patted her back, a little too hard, encouraging her to move. “ **Go ahead and get your girl, Sammu.”**

* * *

Chaewon was armed with all her courage – that wasn’t much – and some spare chocolate she had on her backpack just in case Minjoo wanted a peace offering. The walk to Minjoo’s room wasn’t very long, yet she took double the amount of time needed, stopping every once in a while to talk to herself, rehearsing what she would say to the girl.

So far, her best line was ‘ _Hey, I know you like me, I like you too! Want to go on a date?”_ And it didn’t sound particularly clever, but it was better than _‘Hey, babe. Do you want to chill at my place?’_ that was the line Yena recommended to her.

She stopped in front of Minjoo’s room, her hands closed in fists as she tried rehearsing her lines one more time, whispering to herself. What was the line Hyewon suggested again?

 **“MinMin, if you were a burger at McDonald's, you'd be named the McGorgeous!”** The door wasn’t very impressed with her compliments – Hyewon was even worse than Yena at pick-up lines.

The target of her love wasn’t impressed either.

 **“What did you say?”** Minjoo asked, appearing from behind her with a confused expression.

Chaewon was startled, turning around quickly and nearly bumping into Minjoo as the words just left her mouth before she could help it:

 **“I just said I like you too much!”** There it is. The least romantic confession ever – no wonder Minjoo looked even more confused now as they just stared at each other in the middle of the hallway and Chaewon started to feel her body slowly melting in pure embarrassment.

At least she didn’t use the McDonald’s line.

Minjoo acted first, opening the door and pretty much dragging her inside, so they could have some privacy. The dorm she shared with Yuri was a mess, but the hamster-like girl was nowhere to be seen and they could talk alone.

 **“You do? Since when?”** Minjoo asked without even bothering to hit around the bush, she had her own reasons to be mad at Chaewon for all the months the girl made her wait like a fool to get noticed – but this awkward, weird confession, was still enough to send her heart running inside her chest and fill her body with hope. She silently prayed that finally Chae could really see her.

 **“For a while now.”** The older said, a hand coming to cover her red ear that was so hot to the touch now, she looked at her own shoes and tried her best to not stutter too much. **“I just thought you were, you know…”** Hesitating, she gave Minjoo a yellow smile. **“Playing for the other team.”**

Minjoo blinked, torn in between just ignoring Chaewon’s weird words and focusing on the fact that she was no longer in a one-sided love, or asking what in the world the other girl was talking about. Luckily, Minjoo wasn’t as dense and it only took her a moment to understand what Chaewon meant.

With a chuckle, she shook her head in a negative. **“You see me talking to a guy once and I’m straight, but you thought it was just _girl pals_ _being girl pals_ when I’ve been trying to date you for the last six months?”** It was funny, and a little annoying, how Chaewon who was the only one in her mind since she put her eyes on her, could even think she ever wanted someone else – and not just anyone, but a guy who had hit on pretty much every single girl on campus.

Chaewon was lucky she could overlook this clueless side of her, too focused on how cute she looked now, like a guilty cheetah cub.

 **“I just thought you were a clingy person.”** Chae tried to excuse herself, a nervous hand coming to scrape her nape. **“I’m sorry for being late.”**

Min just chuckled once more, her chest light now. Chaewon looked adorable, but she would look even better inside her arms – and she made sure she was there as she marched closer to the girl to involve her neck with her arms and bring her into a hug.

 **“You weren’t wrong about one thing.”** Her smile turned into a grin as she snuggled up to Chaewon, feeling her warmth and familiar scent as she nuzzled into her neck – as usual she could feel Chaewon reacting to her and it only made her smile grow. **“I’m very clingy, but only with you.”** She said in a secretive tone, just close enough to Chaewon’s ear to make the girl’s breath hitch.

Backing away a little bit, she got to see the glorious sight of a flustered Chaewon, with bright feline eyes looking at her with a bit of surprise and also something more, and she just knew it was the right time.

She didn’t kiss Chaewon first, it wasn’t the other way around either – they just met in the middle, both eager to concretize this moment they had been waiting for a long time.

Minjoo’s smile disappeared as she hugged Chae tight and the older girl pulled her closer, lips against hers with just enough pressure to make her sigh in content, hands touching just enough for her to know she wanted this moment to go on forever, heart beating just fast enough to make her body light and warm, just enough for her to know she was safe and sound in Chaewon’s arms.

It was definitely worth the wait.

Even if a sleepy Yuri caught them making out half an hour later, and suddenly it was like watching the human version of the surprised hamster meme as the girl backed away while Chaewon tried to apologize and Minjoo laughed.

* * *

* * *

A very smug Chaewon was happily hugging her girlfriend to her chest, the younger woman busy with her usual activity of leaving small kisses on her neck – the reason behind Chaewon’s smugness and the vibrant red in her ears.

Who would know she would end up just like one of those annoying couples that dates on the campus lawn and is the target of every single person’s hatred? She wasn’t complaining though.

Turning her head a little, she greeted Minjoo with a smile before capturing her lips in a long kiss, pulling the brunette closer to deepen it as her girlfriend smiled and grabbed her nape.

It was a bit too much to be honest. Luckily, their friends were too busy with other stuff today to bother complaining about their excessive PDA.

In fact, Hyewon was sitting on the lawn a few steps away, accompanied by Yuri, as the duo share some snacks and watched today’s campus show: Yena hitting Hyunjin with a ridiculously big frying pan as the boy tried to run away from her.

They didn’t know what exactly he had said, or even done, but they were sure he deserved it.

 **“Hit him harder! He can’t report you if he’s got a concussion.”** Was Hyewon’s wise advice, one that Yuri echoed.

Later, when Yena was done hunting men, Hyewon and Yuri had finished their snacks, and the Kim couple finally stopped eating each other’s face, they would all sit in this very own spot and listen in as Yena told them about the worst pick-up line she had ever heard.

**“What does “you are not ice but I can make you melt” even mean?!”**

Yeah, he deserved it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, in case it’s not obvious, it was supposed to be a comedy…Somehow. The first scene is a homage to the all-time classic movie ‘Clueless’, while Chaewon’s character here was inspired by a friend and fellow author, who-shall-not-be-named, who happens to be slightly dense.
> 
> As usual, thanks for reading. I’m on twitter at @uncreativeacc and you can contact me there. See you soon, next up is probably with TYE’s update.
> 
> Stream Cherry Bullet’s Love So Sweet!


	14. Bloom

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Even in the darkest of the nights, their love still kept her warm.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a direct sequel to story #11 “Mirage”. Both fics are named after Song Jieun’s songs.

Minjoo was sitting by the table at the kitchen, her hands holding onto a half-empty cup of lukewarm hot chocolate, her mind lost in convoluted thoughts – so many ‘what if’s, so many possibilities, so many things that scared her and made it hard to sleep at night…This old house was everything she always knew, the one place she used to feel safe in, but now it would disappear just like her mother eventually did.

What would become of her? Of her little sister that was barely old enough to walk on her own? The roof over her head was resistant, yet it felt like it could collapse on top of her at any minute – considering how tired and hopeless she felt, part of her wondered if it wouldn’t be a blessing in disguise. 

The insistent knocks at the back door took her out of her thoughts, pushing away the despair to give place to a more tangible fear. It was a little past midnight, and she lived in a small town, no one would simply knock at the kitchen’s door for no reason at this hour…But what kind of thief even knocks? Of course, someone who is not there to steal anything to begin with. 

Instead of checking the door first, she grabbed her cellphone and saw the notification that was able to make all fear vanish, the said notification also put a small smile on her face as she finally stood up to open the door and see a very familiar face barely covered by a green scarf. Black hair precariously put in a ponytail, dark jeans and a black bomber jacket that made her face look even smaller and paler – it was Chaewon, the only one able to make her smile even in nights like this. 

** “What are you doing here?” ** She asked, allowing the girl to enter the house, albeit she already knew the answer – it was of Chaewon they were talking about, and if anything in her life was constant, it was Chaewon’s presence. 

** “What do you think?” ** Chaewon gave her a smug smile as she showed the box of cake she had brought, red cheeks and nose showing her tenacity in picking it up at Hitomi’s place regardless of the snowy weather. The older Kim entered the house, carefully closing the door behind herself as she placed the cake by the counter and faced the house owner. **“Did you think I would miss your birthday?”**

Shaking her head, Minjoo returned her smile, feeling her chest slowly grow warm and light now that Chae was there. Thinking about her eighteen birthday made her uneasy instead of happy, but with her girlfriend there, suddenly it didn’t seem so bad. **“No, of course not.”**

Involving Chaewon’s neck with both of her arms, she brought her in for the tight hug that she needed so much. Chae hugged her back, almost losing her balance because of how tight Minjoo’s embrace was, yet she didn’t complain just returning the gesture as her hands held onto her waist. Even if only for today, for this tiny stolen moment, Min wished for everything to disappear and only the two of them matter. She wished that this feeling now would last for a lifelong.

Chaewon pulled away just enough to face her, eyes fond and loving, arms hugging her dearly as she whispered softly. **“Happy birthday, Kim Minjoo. Thank you for being born and thank you for allowing me to be here with you. I love you.”** Her words that were so similar to the ones Minjoo once told her, brought a new feeling to the younger girl – the warmth that was born from inside her heart and no cold could ever make it disappear. 

Their future was uncertain, this moment could be one of their last ones, yet when Chaewon gently pulled her in for a kiss, even if only for a moment it felt like their love was larger than life. 

Minjoo rested her forehead on Chaewon’s after they broke the kiss, breaths shallow and hot, bodies connected like their souls were right now. Chestnut and silver was all she could see – the sparkles in Chaewon’s eyes, like her own little universe, the infinite stars that only she could see. 

Chae’s lips met hers once more, light kisses as she reached her cheeks and jaw before pulling away to get something from inside her jacket’s pocket. 

Minjoo expected for a little gift, maybe a cute animal keyring or even a piece of jewelry. But instead, she received a bankbook – the small notebook where a bunch of numbers could be seen inside, making her have to reread a few times to understand what it meant. Her breath was caught in her throat, overwhelmed – that was something Chaewon kept for years. **"What does it mean, Chae? Why are you giving me your money?"** She didn’t want to reject a gift, but this wasn’t something she could simply accept.

Chaewon didn’t seem to mind her reaction.

** "It’s not that much, but it’s _ours_. Why else would I even work so much at my dad’s office?” ** Chaewon corrected with a resolute tone, eyes sharp with an unusual serious glint to them. She was being honest and Minjoo just knew she had planned it for a long time, maybe for as long as she kept the money in the bank. **“It is _our_ future. At least the start of it."**

Closing her eyes, Minjoo shook her head strongly before trying to give the bankbook back to Chaewon. Money was something that she really needed now, yet, not like this. **"You know I can't accept that."**

Needless to say, the older girl refused to accept the bankbook, pulling Minjoo into a hug instead. **"Yes, you can! Think about it as the way for us to start anew. Together."** She whispered the last word on Minjoo’s ear and the younger Kim felt her heart shrink inside her chest – it was tempting, oh so tempting, to leave everything behind and pursue a better life with the only person she ever loved.

Yet, life wasn’t so simple.

** "Chae...I can't leave Wonyoung behind." ** The toddler who was her only family left, the little sister that depended on her and the one her mother made her promise to look after. Living under the fear of her relatives taking the kid away was awful, but she couldn’t just give up. **“I just cannot.”**

** “I would never ask you to leave your sister behind.” ** Chaewon was quick to reply, her confidence never wavering as she spoke – it wasn’t an impulse, it wasn’t an act of mischief or an attempt to rebel; it was the honest wish of her heart. **"I will graduate in a few days and when it's time, we will go and find a new place. A better place for us, all of us."**

** "Your parents would never allow it.” ** Minjoo reminded, the hard reality hitting her like a punch. Chaewon’s parents would never allow them to live together, they wouldn’t even allow their daughter to date a girl and if they ever found out…They had been hiding for so many years that Minjoo just understood that it was the only way they could be together. **“ _I_ can't allow it. You need to go to college and follow your dreams and-"**

** “You are my dream.”  ** The brunette cut her off, eyes darker as she refused to let go of her girlfriend and their future. **"Min, I can't let them take Wonyo away. I can't let them take your house and make you live off of crumbs."** Her voice almost cracked, nervousness and fear evident – the same fear that tainted Minjoo’s life for the past few weeks since her mother passed away and her relatives suddenly appeared to fight over the little possession they still had, pushing the girls from side to side like an unwanted burden. The fear of being at mercy of others, at mercy of a fate that had never been kind to her. **"I meant it, being with you is what I want."**

Minjoo felt her throat closing, heavy tears making it hard to breathe as she gave up fighting and just rested against Chaewon’s warmth, feeling the tears slowly make its way down her face as she grabbed onto the girl’s jacket tighter – as if Chae would disappear if she didn’t. The ‘what if’s were there again, haunting her, planting the seed of fear and confusion inside her mind, however, Chaewon’s presence pushed them away.

Thinking about the worst is always easy, painful and natural, but right now she needed hope and Chae was there to bring it. Therefore, she tried her best to deaf her ears to the whispers of doubt and embrace this moment, embrace Chaewon’s love and security, just like the girl hugged her tight. **"I would rather have a simple life with you, wherever it may be, than risking to never see you again.”**

Minjoo could feel Chaewon’s relieved smile as she kissed her cheek for a moment too long, and with every kiss she could feel her love. **“I am not going anywhere without you, you should know that.”**

** "I know, because it’s you and you’ve always been there for me.” ** Ever since the first glance, the first time Minjoo felt her heart beat a little quicker and the first time they kissed – every step of the way, Chaewon had been right there with her. In a world where love could be such a dangerous, daunting thing, where they had to keep their secret safe and live off of stolen moments, Chaewon was still there and she had never allowed her to feel anything but loved. Minjoo just knew it would never change. **“You are the best thing that ever happened to me."** She cupped Chaewon’s face with a hand, watching as the sharp chestnut slowly became softer as love inundated her girl’s eyes. 

Without any more words, Minjoo kissed her lips, long and sweetly – like so many times before, Chaewon’s lips just seem to match her so perfectly and her heart skipped happily inside her chest with each second, light and secure in the hands of the person who she loved ever since she was a kid.

She smiled, heart and mind content, as she gently sank into Chae’s embrace again. **"You have such a special way to say happy birthday."**

Chaewon chuckled lightly, resting her head on top of Minjoo’s, **"I thought chocolate and flowers were too cliche, so I had to step up my game and just snatch you forever."** Min didn’t need to look to know there was a playful smile on her face, one that mirrored hers.  ** "But I also brought some cake just in case." **

With a chuckle of her own, Minjoo nuzzled into her neck, peppering it with kisses. **“It’s my favorite way. And you don’t even need the cake.”**

She interrupted Chaewon’s laugh with new kisses, kisses that didn’t end any time soon, leaving the cake to wait as the couple got lost in each other’s warmth and love. That night would be another one of their precious stolen moments, but it gave her hope that someday they would no longer need to hide and every night would be just like this one.

Much later that night, when they finally ate the cake and Minjoo made a wish as she blew the single candle on top of it, she only wished for their happiness – a wish that would eventually come true, if not by the universe’s wish, but by their own tenacity.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a short thing for Min’s birthday. Those two pieces, this one and Mirage, were supposed to be part of the introduction to a bigger story called Faithfully, that I clearly never wrote. Anyway, you guys can imagine it from now on ;)
> 
> Happy birthday MinMin!
> 
> P.S.: The song that inspired this piece is named ‘Bloom’, by Song Ji Eun, my favorite soloist. You can listen to it here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U19dJ_sqlKQ


End file.
